Wiltshire man crosses Channel after 20 years away from swimming

A swimmer who spent 20 years away from the water has made it throughout the English Channel.

Alex David who lives in Devizes, Wiltshire, was a eager swimmer when he was youthful however life “got in the way“.

The father-of-two’s problem has raised £9,500 for charities Julia’s House Children’s Hospice and Devizes Opportunities Centre – virtually double his goal.

The 41-year-old, who made an unsuccessful try final 12 months, stated: “It is hard to explain the nerves, just off the scale really. It’s just an incredible experience.”

He did it in 15 hours and 4 minutes after setting off from Dover’s Shakespeare Beach and touchdown in dunes at Wissant, in France’s Hauts-de-France area.

This just isn’t the common route however he was swept off target.

“You don’t want to underestimate the challenge because you have got to know that you’re in for an ordeal.

“But by the identical token you’ve got to face on the seashore believing that you’ll make it to French shores,” he said.

The hardest part of the 25 June challenge was the first couple of hours, Mr David said.

“It was super-tough situations, I used to be getting slapped round by the chop,” he stated.

“And I recall respiration to the left and I hadn’t even cleared Dover (harbour) wall.

“And I’m thinking, ‘Wow, this is tough’ so I was just, in my mind, hanging on in there waiting for the weather to change.

“They all the time say don’t lookup as a result of it’s additional away than you suppose so I made a decision to lookup and thought sure, I can see France, put my head head down, swam for one more couple of hours and I actually couldn’t see any land in any respect.”

He stated: “To really do it was fairly particular. It’s one thing I’ve carried out and will probably be there within the information ceaselessly.”