Day 136 – 23rd November 2010

After yesterdays less than happy start, I was feeling much better when I got up this morning. Not 100%, but certainly a good 80%. When you hit your 40’s, 80% is not so bad! Oh my god I sound like an old man of 55!!!!!

This morning it was Shoreham Port day. After picking up Darren and Emily (from our Africa charity) at 7.30am we headed to Shoreham Port where we met up with Rodney Lunn, the CEO plus his team & a number of our other charity partners and some local businesses that support us and also some local press. The point of today was a PR exercise for the Port and also a fantastic opportunity for us to put together a DVD, courtesy of See That, of the Starr Trust to use for promoting our Swim4Smiles campaign. It was so amazing to see so many people turn up there at 7.30am just to see me take a dip in the harbour in my trunks; or maybe it was the free bacon sandwiches and coffee on offer? Mmmmm, which one could it have been?

After some chatting and filming I undressed and popped into my trunks and then we all headed off through the port to the harbour; surreal to say the very least! With everyone standing on the dock in anticipation I climbed down the ladder from a tug boat and took the plunge. The temperature was certainly warmer than the sea, probably around 12 degrees, so that was pleasant, however, the taste was somewhat diesly! I did a short swim from the dock to a waiting tug boat and back again, probably no more than 200 meters in all, and then climbed out to rapturous applause – I have to say I found it rather odd that people were clapping me for a 200 metre relatively warm swim; but hey ho one has to take the applause when one can!! What was particularly nice was that at least 4 people, two from the Port, told me that they thought my swimming technique was “fantastic” and that I simply glided through the water; considering that I only started swimming properly in April that was super nice to hear. Another great PR day for the Trust and the Challenge; everyday seems to get more exciting.