Rob Deakin: Take the plunge

Brockwell Park isn’t the only place to swim outside. Brixtonian Rob Deakin covered over 30 miles in his epic swim from England to France

Above: Rob Deakin of Brixton swam the English Channel from Dover Harbour to Cap Gris Nez in 12 hours 36 minutes

Brixton resident Rob Deakin successfully swam the English Channel from Dover Harbour to Cap Gris Nez in a time of 12 hours 36 minutes. Rob battled ferocious tides, unpredictable weather, chronic fatigue and nausea in dirty waters in aid of Cancer Research. Since 1872 only 916 solo swims across the world’s busiest shipping lane have been successful – compared to over 3,000 successful climbs to the summit of Everest. Here he reveals all the thrilling details of his achievement.

What made you swim the Channel?
I have been interested in doing it since I was very young. I like a challenge, and when I did the Marathon in 2006, I enjoyed it but then was immediately looking for another challenge that didn’t necessarily just involve running. Swimming the Channel was one of the biggest challenges I could think of and it seemed an exciting prospect.  Also, I just really enjoy being outdoors, the training was good and I like swimming in the sea. All in all the experience was a great way to unwind after work.

What do you have to do to make your swim an official ‘Channel Swim’?
There’s an association called the Channel Swimming and Pilots Federation that ratifies the swim. You need to have an official support boat with an observer who takes notes, records the official time and ensures that no rules are invalidated. He has to ‘inspect’ you and check that you are only wearing one swimming hat, one pair of Speedos and one pair of goggles. You also have to register with the coastguard. You have to be completely out of the water before you start, the sound of the support boat’s horn signals the official start of your swim, and when you finish you have to be clear of water for your final time to be recorded. During the swim, no-one is allowed to touch you.

Would you say it is dangerous?
‘The whole point of having a support boat is that the crews are very experienced. The pilot of my support boat has done over 150 crossings, he does about 40 attempts each summer (many of them relays).  They are highly trained in recognising any worrying symptoms of hypothermia. During every feed they look for the key signs such as lack of eye contact and general erratic behaviour like not being able to follow the boat, swimming in random directions etc. For example they are more worried if someone is quiet than if they are making lots of noise. You need about 6 people on the boat, just in case they need to pull you out!’

What was the most important element of your training programme?
The mental preparation is almost more important than the physical. The climate in Dover is very changeable; in one attempt you could potentially go through a thunderstorm and come out the other side, so you have to be prepared for that unpredictability. This year the weather in May and June was so bad, but this was actually quite good for training. Also, I became so used to swimming in 10 degrees, when I got into waters of 17 degrees to do my swim it felt relatively ‘warm’. I suppose this is the only positive thing about our poor summer.

How did it go on the day?
It went very well, I did a lot of planning and really benefited from all the experience of those I trained with. My key concern was not being able to retain all the fluids I was ingesting. My strong focus was on breaking the swim into ‘bite-sized’ chunks, never focusing on more than the immediate 30 minutes ahead of me before the next feed, and feeding generally went really well. I swam against the tide at first which was more physically challenging and the weather conditions were not ideal, the sea was quite choppy, so this worried me at first, but then it flattened.
I was advised never to try and find the horizon.

How many times do you eat/drink during the swim?
I had between 25 and 30 feeds which were thrown into the water from the boat. Everything I was given was heated, to keep my body temperature up.  Everything also had ‘Maxim’ in it, a carbohydrate substance to boost energy. All fluids were passed to me in a Highland Spring 500ml sportscap bottle attached to a piece of string, so the support boat crew could retrieve the bottle. Each time they retrieved the bottle, they would wash it thoroughly to remove any trace of sea water. Inhaling sea water is probably the biggest cause of failed swimming attempts, it’s very bad for you.

Is the water as dirty as it looks?
Put it this way. When you are swimming, you can’t see your hand in front of you. Although because of the tides moving the water around, it is a bit cleaner out at sea than in the Harbour.

What was the finest moment?
Finishing was good, but I wasn’t that ‘with it’ when I got to the end (due to exhaustion). Swimming into the dawn was genuinely amazing, after 6 hours of swimming in pitch darkness. The sun came up really strongly over the horizon, and suddenly I could see ships all around me, some in silhouettes. I knew then  that I wouldn’t be as cold anymore. It was a beautiful natural scene and the sun warms your spirits as well as your body.

The lowest moments?
I was quite sick a long way in to the swim. And the start was hard in the pitch black. It wouldn’t normally bother me, but in the pitch black, the stories about sharks did start to get to me, suddenly I was getting all these texts about damn sharks….

The funniest moment?
Probably struggling to get out, having swum all that way, it was so frustrating not being able to get out!.  Also, the support boat nearly ran me over as I swam back from the French shore.

What did you think about during the swim?
I was very focused on the ‘here and now’, making it to the next feed, thinking about good swimming technique, drawing upon all the advice I had been given, thinking about everything I had done to get to where I was, and not wanting to waste all that effort. I thought about all the people who have helped me to have the chance to do this, who have given me their time for free. I didn’t want to let people like the General down. I wanted to give some payback to those who sponsored me and gave me some excellent support. And I did sing to myself as well.

Did time drag or go quickly?
It did go more quickly than I had expected, and more quickly than in training. I had so much support, the team on the boat had a white board where they wrote messages from friends and family and drew silly pictures, all the attention made a big difference.  When there is a support boat of people just for you, to motivate you, feed you and do everything they can to get you across, it’s fantastic.

Would you do it again?
NO! The thought of doing the training programme again is too much.  It’s extremely time consuming and means being tired constantly.

So, has your life changed?
It’s only a few days since I did it, and physically I am still a wreck. I can’t really sleep properly yet because my shoulders feel like they have been run over by a rhino and I have some big cuts from climbing out of the water. Mentally, I’m feeling very relieved and in time I know I will look back with elation at the achievement.

Why did you choose to support Cancer Research UK?
Because so many people’s lives are affected by cancer and I know a few people personally who have been affected. And I really believe that strong advances have been made over the past few years and with directed effort, the terrible impact on people’s lives can be reduced.

www.justgiving.com/robdeakin