February 2024
Welcome to the subscribers only content.
Thank you for signing up to my newsletter. Every month I will provide a selection of content not available elsewhere on my site.
Some of this will be outtakes, amusing extras and stuff I’m not wild about sharing with everyone! Here is February’s offering….
The big news in February was the completion of 10,000 metres. This is the first time I’ve managed this during a single winter month. I was delighted to do this in February as it is, of course, the month of Winterfest activities. So most times I swam I felt like I was doing my bit to be part of such an extraordinary collective effort to banish the winter blues and provide people with something to smile about.
On the subject of making people smile, here’s an exclusive photo for subscribers. My first swim in February was on 6th and was accompanied by a strong 20mph wind. When I got out of the water I thought I had ripped my trunks as they were flapping about in the wind. Then I realised, I had done the whole swim with my trunks inside out!
Whoops! Just when I thought my problems dressing myself were in the past! :)
January 2024
Even though I’ve never been competitive in my life :) I decided to have a look at my progress alongside others completing the same challenge from up and down the country.
When this winter’s challenge began, there were a total of 337 registered to take part in the Arctic Polar Bear variation. At the end of January, according to the published stats, there are now only 268 still continuing.
At the end of December I was 32nd in the full list and I’m delighted to see that at the end of January I have nudged up a little to 25th.
I am utterly in awe of the people at the top of the list, with Lucy leading the way having completed an incredible 53,537m already! Some of these swimmers are also completing the challenge in freshwater lakes and reservoirs where they can and probably do swim every day. However, the water temperature will also have been even colder than the sea. It’s incredibly inspiring and my humble goal will be to stay within the top 30 by the time we reach 31st March.
Extract from the official Polar Bear Challenge Swim Lists of the top thirty and the last competitor still on the list. This was compiled as of 6th February (which includes swims to 31st January)
December 2023
This month I wanted to start with a huge thank you to Alix, Anne, Dave and David from Winterfest.
On Christmas Day, after my morning swim, Anne got Dave to represent me with a brand new pair of Crocs to replace the ones taken from the hut when it was broken into earlier in the year, which Alix had kindly sourced for me. Anne also bought the lovely, post swim treat dish, which goes perfectly with the decor of the hut, which anyone who has been inside will know is Sandra’s homage to Frida Khalo. I’m also grateful to David for the photographs and additional coverage he has managed to get for the challenge. It’s so motivating to have these involved with the charity I’m raising money for coming regularly to watch me swim. Thank you all. I hope you’ll still be there at the end of Feb when it can get really grim!
Several people have mentioned this remarkable likeness that I couldn’t wait another month before sharing this uncanny resemblance.
On a slightly more serious note, I did encounter my first ‘refusal’ on Saturday 30th. I had made a pie for myself, using pastry left over from our Nut & Cranberry Wellington on Christmas Day and was looking forward to earning it with a swim during the afternoon of 30th. Although I’d been for a lovely walk in beautiful sunshine in the morning as the time to set off for the swim got nearer the clouds opened and the combination of the rain, cold and what I can only put down to as a post Christmas lethargy, I’m embarrassed to say, I cancelled the swim. I still managed the pie though! Fortunately normal service was resumed at 14:40 the next day when I completed the final swim of 2023.
The unedited version of the start of the Christmas Day swim.
November 2023
Subscriber only content for November.
Part of my pre-swim preparation.
Before swimming; hat, goggles, nose clip, earplugs and pink hair bands.
After swimming; chocolate, hat, buff, chocolate and mug of hot water.
Part of pre-swim preparation is getting my hair ready to fit in my swim hat. Not an image you’ll see me sporting around the town!
A video shot by Dave Griffiths from Wintefest of my inaugural dip on 1st November. Thanks again Dave for being there at the start.
On my way back to the beach hut.