Tom’s tuned in to Channel challenge!
WHEN you’re swimming solo across the Bristol Channel in a pair of trunks, there’s not much you can think about other than just keeping one hand out in front of the other and kicking. At least, that’s how 39-year-old Tom Chapman describes it.
Tom, from Porthcawl, has recently begun his newest challenge of being the first person to swim all four recognised routes along alo the Bristol Channel, according to the channel swimmer rules.
He H has already completed his first firs swim – nine miles from Penarth to W Weston-super-Mare – and has his next nex swim planned on Monday.
Increasing I his distance, his second on swim will be 12 miles from Penarth Pen to Clevedon, then 16 miles from Porthcawl to Glenthorne, before finishing on an even more gruelling 25-mile swim from Swansea to Ilfracombe.
Though the routes have separately been completed by swimmers before, Tom will be the first person to complete all four swims and added to the prestigious “list” of Bristol Channel swimmers.
But to qualify, he must abide by certain regulations: a pair of bathers, goggles and a hat only; no buoyancy aids throughout the swim; the water must be cleared at both sides; and no touching the boat or another person for the duration of the swim.
Tom explained: “I started swimming with people who were also swimming the Channel, one thing led to another and here we are.”
The four swims are for Douglas Macmillan Hospice, in memory of his late father-in-law who passed away from asbestos-related lung cancer earlier this year.
The Porthcawl route in particular hadn’t been swum since 1982, until last year when Tom accompanied a friend from Turkey as the observer of their swim. Now, however, it is Tom’s turn to be observed.
“I’d been planning the swim for a while at that point myself, but I’d never really pushed the button on it, and that was the kickstart really,” he said.
Following the poor weather this spring he had struggled to get in as much open-water swimming as he would have liked.
His luck managed to turn for the first swim, however, as the observer recorded the temperature at a toasty 17C-18C for the entire distance. He is aware as his swims continue that he might not always be so lucky.
While in the water, Tom has water and snack breaks to keep up his energy. He explained his thought process during the swim is just “one arm one arm”.
“When I do the big swims I tend to feed every 45 minutes. The guys on the boat are allowed to throw drinks and food at you, but you can’t touch the boat or another person.
“Especially when it gets to the big distances, it is one thing to the next. It’s ‘Right, I’ve just eaten, I’ve got another 45 minutes to swim before the next stop.’”
All being well, Tom aims to finish his challenge on August 31, with his 25-mile swim to Ilfracombe, giving him plenty of time to recover for his 40th birthday in September.
When I do the big swims swi I tend to feed every 45 m minutes. The guys on the boat boa are allowed to throw drinks drin and food at you, but you can’t touch the boat or another person
Tom Chapman