Quietly crossing the line

Another very wet day. The wind changed from southerly to south-south-westerly, which finally got me to decide to swim today. I had been hoping that this significant moment during the five month long challenge would be sunny, with a promenade full of people.

As it happened when I arrived at the hut I was a solitary figure along a fairly bleak coastline. I recorded a couple of short videos (see below), before updating my information boards and placing them outside in the rain.

As I was getting changed a lovely couple came by to wish me luck and to take a photo of me at the moment that I tied up my hair in bunches! It may turn up on social media at some point :) This was just before the crucial swim in March that would take me over the Arctic Polar Bear Challenge requirement of 3,000m for the month.

The tide was high; 5.4m, the sea reasonably pleasant; 7.7 degrees and the only issue was the large islands of seaweed, several of which I swam into.

However, I made it. Another 500m taking the March total to 3,000m and triggering my submission of the completion form to the wonderful Pauline Barker MBE (aka Mama Bear), who organises and runs this amazing challenge every year.

That brings my overall total swum this winter to 34,100 metres or 21.19 miles, raising a total of £1,944.40. As I’ve mentioned before, I intend to keep swimming until Friday 29th March, at which point I will close the Just Giving Page and have a final count up of the donations to the Brightlingsea Winterfest Wellbeing Fund.