The Guernsey Swimming Club held their annual closed Herm swim on Sunday 8th August with the fine weather continuing the sea temperature is above average this year resulting in more swimmers swimming in the sea and entering the clubs series of bay swims with the ultimate swim being Guernsey to Herm.
Not quite perfect conditions but sunshine and slight seas saw 34 swimmers complete the Herm swim, Becky Simmons finished 1st in a time of 1:10.50 with Kevin Penney coming second in 1:12.15and Paul Mason coming third in 1:12.20 both just two minutes behind . The youngest of the swimmers to complete the swim was 13 year old Aimee Bran in a time of 1:31.34 and the oldest 71 year old Sue Pengelley in her first attempt in a very respectable time of 1:50.20.
Although perhaps not such a challenge for the channel swimmers of the club, the Herm swim represents a huge personal challenge for many of the Guernsey Swimming Club regular swimmers quoting one swimmer “ I have achieved something that I never thought was possible”. To be able to achieve this they all have had to train regularly in the pool and sea.
For one swimmer however the challenge and achievement was even greater, Sarah Whitchurch at 27, disabled from the age of 10 after contracting meningitis, successfully completed the swim. With no propulsion from her legs and restricted use of her hands Sarah battled with the tide taking her north during the first part of the swim. Suffering from the cold and fatigue Sarah courageously continued swimming picking up the southern current finishing outside the harbour in a time of 2 hours 43 minutes, perhaps not a record time for the Herm Swim but she becomes the first disabled swimmer to complete the Herm swim a truly remarkable achievement and momentous swim.
The swim could not go ahead without a lot of support each swimmer must have a escort boat usually a kayaker and on behalf of the swimmers the Guernsey Swimming Club would like to thank all of the Kayakers, in addition several larger and smaller safety boats are necessary to maintain the safety of the swim and the club would also like to thank them all for their support as the Herm swim would not be able to take place without them.
Finally the Guernsey Swimming Club would like to thank Travel Trident for putting on an extra boat to bring back all the swimmers, kayakers and Kayaks from Herm.
Copy of results attached
Guernsey Swimming Club Herm Swim Results
Sarah Whitchurch on her way to
Completing the Hem Swim to
Become the first disabled swimmer
to sucseffully compete the swim.