Intrepid mountaineering accountant and prodigious charity fund raiser Gary Parker and an all female team of swimmers are training for an English Channel attempt in Gloucestershire.
Odd? Not really. The squad is taking advantage of the excellent outdoor facilities available at Forest of Dean town Lydney’s Bathurst pool.
Gary, who has climbed some of the world’s tallest mountains and taken part in gruelling desert and jungle endurance challenges, is to lead a relay swim of English Channel. He has chosen Bathurst baths, in Lydney, to harden up his squad of female swimmers.
Gary, MD of Monmouthshire-based Parker & Co Accountants, is gathering a team of six to swim the challenging 21 miles (32 kms) across the Channel in relay from Dover to Calais, in aid of St David’s Hospice Care.
Squad members assembled for their first outdoor session at Lydney’s Bathurst pool, where the water temperature was a balmy 18 degrees centigrade, to complete 44 training lengths which is equal to one mile.
Gary, who swam for Wales as a schoolboy, has signed up the team as ‘serious swimmers’ at the Lydney pool which he says is ideal for training for their attempt on the channel.
“Bathurst is brilliant. The temperature in the pool is a bit higher than the 14 degrees we can expect in the channel and the water is a lot calmer with no unexpected floating objects but it is a perfect outdoor environment in which to train and an ideal location for all of the squad.”
Gary, who is looking to raise a combined £25,000 for St David’s through the swim, is putting the swimmers through their paces before finally selecting the five others and reserve who will join him on the charity event in July next year.
“I’m very pleased to say that we have some very strong and determined swimmers in the squad. We’ll continue to train at Lydney regularly and will also be completing some sea swimming sessions in the Bristol Channel.”
He said: “The swim is not something to be taken lightly. We’ll need to complete qualifiers and then choose our team of six swimmers for the Welsh attempt. Each of those taking part will need to raise in excess of £4,000 in sponsorship.
“Swimming the English Channel is a unique and demanding swim, considered by many to be the ultimate long distance challenge. Apparently it isn’t the distance that is the real problem but the variable conditions swimmers will encounter along the way.
“The water is cold, there is a good chance of meeting jellyfish, mounds of seaweed and the occasional plank of wood. It is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world with 600 tankers passing through and 200 ferries and Sea Cats and other vessels going across, daily so we’ll really have our work cut out.”
Gary, who has booked the swim for a day in the week of July 1-8th 2013, is now looking for corporate sponsors for the swim to fund kit, training sessions, pilotage costs and other essentials.
“I have two reasons for wanting to conquer the English Channel. The first, is to help raise money for St. David’s Hospice Care and the second, more personal reason, is as I have completed the Sahara race in the desert and the jungle marathon in the Amazon jungle and wanted to complete the circle, as it were, with an endurance event in the water.”
St David’s Hospice Care Director of Fundraising and Lottery Kris Broome said: “Gary is a massive supporter of St David’s Foundation and this will surely be the biggest event he has been involved in for us to date after sponsoring our Christmas Ball which, incidentally, he is doing again this year. We can’t thank him enough for his continued marvellous support.”
For more details on Gary Parker St David’s Foundation Channel Swim or to register interest and to keep an eye on progress please visit: www.stdavidsfoundation.co.uk/?page_id=205&event_id=87 or contact Gary Parker on 01633 889020 or Kris Broome on 01633 851058