Manhattan Island Swim

On Saturday morning, 6th June, I intend to swim around the island of Manhattan, New York City, in aid of Guide Dogs for the Blind. Starting from Battery Park at the southern tip of the island, the 28.5 mile route takes in the East, Harlem and Hudson rivers to complete a full circumnavigation of Manhattan.

The race - known as the Manhattan Island Marathon Swim - consists of a field 25 solo swimmers from all over the world, armed only with standard swimming paraphernalia - one swim suit, a pair of goggles and a hat.

Training with the General

Over recent months I am lucky to have been trained by Freda Streeter, the Channel General (pictured below). Freda's advice is always concise and to the point: she is a keen advocate of keeping plans simple. Following my final training session on Sunday - 4 hours in Dover harbour - she advised "Right boy - Get through Hell's Gate as quick as you can, and watch out for the dead dogs in the river". With that I was dismissed.

Rob pictured below with Freda Streeter, the Channel General, Dover May 2009

I suppose the plan is slightly more complex than Freda’s standard English Channel briefing which consists solely of "Right boy - get your f***ing down and don't stop until you get to France."

Not easily impressed, the General, she has only ever said "well done" to me once. For that I had to swim for 7 hour in Dover harbour in what I recall as near hurricane conditions, contrasting only slightly with the General's observation that "there was something of a light breeze out there today".

Her daughter, Alison Streeter MBE, holds the world record for completing 42 successful English Channel swims, including a 3 time way swim involving swimming from England to France, France to England, and then England to France again without stopping – a distance of more than 65 miles. This record is unlikely to be broken any time soon.

Guide Dogs

Guide dogs for the Blind receive no funding from the government and enable blind people to lead a more normal life. It costs nearly £40,000 to train a guide dog.

80% mental
It is frequently said that Channel Swimming and other long distance events are more of a mental challenge than a physical one. Having done rather limited training, I guess I am about to find out.
Race report to follow.