The Team

Carol

Carol Bloxsome (at 45 the oldest team member). I run my own business as a safety consultant in the rail industry. I have 2 boys and a very understanding husband.

Unlike most of the team I never swam for a club, school or county. I just used to enjoy swimming a few lengths of breast stroke each week. Since being invited to join the team (which I'd like to make clear is all Vanessa's fault) this has of course now all changed. I've banned myself from breast stroke to concentrate on front crawl. This was a challenge in itself: from not being able to swim more than 4 lengths of crawl in one go, I now swim 108 lengths in an hour. And, with the aid of my lap counter, I can bore everyone with statistics about how many lengths I've swum each week, how fast, and how I've improved over the last 9 months.

The outdoor cold water training sessions take a lot of getting use to so early in the mornings, but our team spirit goes a long way. I am looking forward to July.  I may be a safety consultant but I won't be analysing the risks from swimming across busy shipping lanes, attacks from local sea life or simply being lost at sea.  Best to just do it!

Chris

I'm  a 43 year old part -time Maths teacher with 4 children and a very  understanding husband! I've always enjoyed swimming and took part in the first ever swimathon (5km) rather too many years ago. Swimming, to me, has always been a great way of keeping fit and building stamina. Before our children arrived I used to climb mountains, canoe, cycle, rock climb, run, winter mountaineer and cave, always on the lookout for a new challenge. Then our twin boys arrived, now aged 10......and then our twin girls, now aged 8!

Keen to improve my fitness and shed those post baby pounds I started running home after dropping the children at school each day (with a few other mad mums!). Things were going well until, much to my frustration, I injured my knee. It was then that I had that phone call.' You used to be a good swimmer.......' So I discovered that although I was struggling to run I could still swim and have been doing so with a passion since that day in March 2008. My biggest challenge has been to master bilateral breathing (it's much easier on one side only), swim in a straight line in open water and withstand the cold (Brrrr!) but I am getting faster and more efficient.

Clare

Clare - I am 42 years old, married, and have 2 lovely girls. I run a small business teaching resuscitation to medical, nursing and other health professionals. Yes, I am busy enough, but like the rest of the team I wanted a challenge! This was sort of my idea, having been married to a triathelete for many years, and getting bored of the supporter's role. I also watched a women's team on daytime telly (OK so I'm not that busy!!) and was inspired.

I am the slow but steady member of the team, I don't seem to suffer too much in the cold (Perhaps my own bioprene helps?), but I'm committed and train at least 3 times a week. If I don't, I have my husband to answer to! I've also taken on the admin role in the team, the boat is booked and fees paid.

I swam as a child, in a low key club, but was never a star in the pool. I had some lessons at David Lloyd to kick start my front crawl, and suffered the humiliation of a video analysis of my stroke at Tri-sports (it might be on 'you tube' now…). I'm now gaining loads of tips from our regular coaching sessions in Cobham. This is a massive commitment and a huge challenge for me, but I'm determined to give it my best shot, and will bore all my friends and family talking about it for the rest of my life! Please sponsor us, and give as generously as you are able.

Helen

Helen Wolstencroft (43 years old).  I work as a teaching assistant at the same school as Vanessa, although by training I am a geologist.  I have 2 children and a sporty husband.

I did swim for a club until I was a teenager but promptly stopped when they suggested 20 hours a week training!  I took it up again while working as we had free use of a pool!  I have swum at Guildford Lido every summer for years (I was that person Vanessa laughed at!) and joined the team as reserve last summer.  I also climb, run and cycle, one of these days I will finally get round to entering a triathlon!

My biggest challenge will be with the cold, I remember being cold after 20 minutes diving in the Channel wearing a semi-dry wetsuit!  However, I am now excited about joining the main team and looking forward to the swim in a bizarre way!

Jackie

Jackie Stuart (44 years too old).  I am currently teaching Business Studies to Secondary pupils, have 2 energetic boys and a house and family to run and obviously not being challenged enough! So thought why not take on something that is physically demanding, takes up all our time, makes us train late at night and early mornings in lakes, ruins my hair colour (well who needs Toni and Guy to cover the grey!) and frightens me silly. And I wasn't even inebriated at the time! A year ago and over a coffee Clare coerced us all to join her madcap idea.  I can only think that I wasn't thinking straight at the time but the time is fast approaching and the boat paid for. No backing out now.

My swimming history is brief - swam at Hatfield swimming club as a child until they wanted me to swim early mornings and as a teenager that was a big NO, so gave up. Have tended to see swimming pools since as a place to hop into when my body needs cooling off on foreign hols. Occasionally done the odd lap but my kids used to think there was a whale in the pool and attack me. I am not very fit and am using this to try and get fitter. (the photo says it all!)

Am now training 2/3 times a week and from the New Year this will only get worse.  From May we will be doing plenty of sea training from Dover and local lake swims and the Guildford Lido - a 50m pool.  I am much better at breaststroke and at the moment it is faster than my crawl but it seems that crawl is the way to go so I have to persevere and perfect it! Why oh Why do we put ourselves through Hell? Roll on August and a beach in the sun.

Vanessa

Vanessa Major (41 years old) I am an infant school teacher presently teaching Reception children in Guildford. I have 2 children and last year I got so bored watching my daughter's swimming lesson that I decided to start swimming again at the same time. Now this is one of my training sessions!

When I was a child I swam in a swimming club but was not very fast! I have always enjoyed swimming but never ventured in cold water until now. I used to laugh at people who went in the Guildford Lido as it was far too cold for me. Last summer I loved the lido and now complain some pools are too warm. I'm still not keen on the lake especially with the swans. I have always been a backstroke swimmer but have had to learn to swim front crawl this last year. I had no idea swimming was so complicated. I do like a challenge but this is the biggest challenge I will ever do in my life. It has been hard work especially swimming at 8 am on a cold Sunday morning in the cold lake BUT great fun too making new friends.