My Christmas Day Swim across Weymouth Harbour

Hey Sweeties,

As the end of the Christmas break is coming to it’s sad end (I’m so not ready to go back to work yet!), I thought it was time I got back to the blog and figured telling you about my Christmas Day swim across Weymouth Harbour would be a good start.

So, anticipating your questions, basically back in 2013 when I last spent Christmas with my in-laws in Weymouth, we were in town on Christmas Day when I first saw people swimming across the harbour. Now, some of you may or may not know that I love a challenge (remember the Yorkshire Three Peaks and the XRunner Water Wipeout Challenge?) -for me challenges provide a focus, a goal and something to work towards.

For two years I have been saying I will swim across Weymouth Harbour and then a couple of weeks ago, my confidence wavered and I thought that actually, maybe it’s not such a good idea after all. I don’t like the sea, I’m not a strong swimmer, and making the family get up on Christmas morning just to watch me swim would be a bit pointless. But I knew I couldn’t do that, I said I would swim so I bit the bullet and registered, deciding also to see if I could gain some sponsorship for Independent Age for my efforts.

The sponsorship surprised me, I set a small goal of £50 but in the end I have raised £120 as friends and family really got behind me and the swim so a huge thank you to them! I would like the say it made my legs kick harder and me to swim faster, but the water was so cold my body started to stiffen in shock soon after I plunged in!

Weymouth harbour

Waiting on the pontoon waiting to start the swim!

Wemouth harbour swim

Jumping in!

Weymouth harbour swim

Trust me, it’s freezing cold!!

Official photographs courtesy of Dorsetbays Photography

Without going into every detail, the water was freezing cold and even though that’s expected, I don’t think you can quite prepare for it. Lining up along the pontoon when my band colour was called, as soon as “one” was shouted in the countdown, I enthusiastically jumped into Weymouth harbour. I started by swimming in a front crawl style stroke, but soon my arms got too heavy to lift so I swam the rest of the way using breast stroke. My breathing was very short and my pace slow, but I still finished at the back of the middle lot of swimmers so not a bad effort at all. I’m really pleased I decided to enter in the non-competitive family swim rather than the women’s competitive group.

Weymouth harbour swim

The picture above of me smiling, is just as I was out the water and it was short lived before I got very overwhelmed and burst into tears. I have never welcomed a hot cup of coffee and a hot bath so much! Safe to say, I’m really proud of myself for overcoming some fears and raising some money for Independent Age, but I won’t be swimming across Weymouth Harbour again!

Have you done anything challenging?

A big thank you to Independent Age for supplying me with a fleece and a t-shirt!

Until next time x

2 Comments

  1. Katie Halsall 10th January 2017 / 9:43 pm

    Oh wow, well done! I’m not sure I’d be brave enough to do that kind of swim aha!

    • Claire
      Author
      10th January 2017 / 10:56 pm

      To be honest I never thought I was brave enough either, ha! But I can’t resist a challenge if I see one 🙂

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