I arrived at this swim a little over confident. My first crossing had been manageable, dare I even say easy. I thought this would be a walk in the park. Get in, Get out, go home. The water was freezing, I believe it was 10 degrees. It felt like a lot less and the current was working against me. I learned more about myself and the will to finish what I’d started than I ever before.
I dug so deep over that 3h30 mins that I believe a part of me forever changed. I learned that the human spirit can drive you forward long after the body and the mind have quit. It was by far the hardest swim I have ever had to do. I should have quit at 3.5km. I was so cold and hypothermic. But I didn’t, I pushed on. I had a great Boatsman and he kept me going.
I was disappointed after the swim, my time was slow and I struggled. It was only much later that I realized what a life changing swim that was. How deep I had to dig not to give up and I learned how much punishment I can take and keep going. Not everything is about time and speed. It’s also about being able to keep going forward when every fibre in your body is screaming at you to quit.