team included a crazy age range ! I ’ m the youngest , but there ’ s also a 76-year-old , middle-aged businesspeople and other interesting swimmers . I definitely wouldn ’ t have had the determination to try again without them all . It was an amazing physical challenge , but most of all an incredible experience of community .
Having watched her father swim train in Dover for many years , Phoebe Critchlow ( Year 11 ) has long wanted to swim the Channel , but had to wait for her 16th birthday before she was allowed to join a relay team . In July they got the call .
We drove down to Dover Marina for a 2.30am meeting ahead of our 3.30am start . I was due to swim the fourth hour of each five-hour cycle . The light had started to creep by the time of my first swim . When I entered the water , it hit me like it had the first time I ever got in the sea , hard enough to knock all the air out of my body . In my excitement , I had forgotten to un-fog my goggles , so for the whole of the first swim I couldn ’ t see any of the signs they put over the side , or even how close I was to the boat ! People tend to
wonder what you think about while you ’ re swimming ; I wonder if they would be disappointed to find out I was singing in my head as much of Hamilton as I could remember .
The third swim was tough . We were all emotional by that point , as there was a danger we wouldn ’ t make it in time . I swam flat out for the hour and felt like I wasn ’ t going anywhere . I got out of the water crying , but my team were incredible , even though I had only met one of them before . Towards the end , like the climax of a film , the fog that had lingered around us all day suddenly cleared and we had smooth waters reflecting the setting sun . We had finished our channel swim in 16 hours and 47 minutes , just a minute off what two of my teammates had predicted in our sweepstake . The boat ride back was euphoric , it was dark and we were riding high as we zipped back across the Channel , finally able to see quite how big it was , how far we ’ d come . Channel swimming is addictive : the water , the seemingly endless journey you conquer , the community – I know I ’ ll stay in touch with all the people I ’ ve met . I know I ’ ll be back .
Main picture : Phoebe Critchlow swimming the Channel Inset picture : Lara Bartleet ( centre ) with her Channel swim team
SEVENOAKS SCHOOL 2020-2021 103