Channel Swimmers Meet Sharron Davies
Categories: Charity Events 2011/2012 Swimming and Water Polo News
Warwick School and King’s High School Channel Swimmers had the chance to meet Sharron Davies last Saturday. As the main sponsor of the Warwick School Channel Swim, Rybrook BMW arranged an event with Sharron Davies, at their showroom in Warwick. BMW are an official Olympic Partner and Rybrook BMW sponsor Sharron Davies, former Olympic Gold Medallist swimmer and BBC London 2012 Commentator.
The Warwick School squad will attempt a two way crossing and King’s High School, their first ever crossing. Every Channel swim attempt follows slightly different routes across to France to make the best of the prevailing tide and conditions and to offer the best chance of a success. This is the world’s most famous long distance relay swim across the busiest sea lane in the world, the English Channel.
Staggeringly, Warwick School will be the first boys’ school in 30 years to attempt a ‘two way channel’ crossing with a team of six boys aged between just 14 and 18. The King’s High School team of six girls will be the first all girls school relay to make their ‘classic’ attempt from Shakespeare Beach, Dover to Cap Gris Nez near Calais. During the crossing the pupils will have to cope with water temperatures as low as 11°C and inevitably encounter jellyfish, seaweed and debris not to mention avoid large ferries and tankers as they swim through the shipping lanes.
Sharron spoke to the swimmers about their forthcoming Channel Swim and how as someone who doesn’t like swimming in cold water she admired their stamina and determination! The many questions from swimmers included what spurred Sharron on, how she prepared for a big race and how much she swam nowadays.
Sharron finished her talk by showing the Olympic torch, she proudly carried through Leominster, and her Olympic Silver Medal.