Strong winds and heavy seas cannot stop Channel swimmer
TOUCHING the sea bed in France, having swum for 16 hours straight, was the moment cross-channel swimmer James Harrison knew all his training and hard work had been worthwhile.
Speaking yesterday after catching up on sleep and tucking into plenty of Milky Way bars, the 34-year-old freelance film-maker said swimming the 21 miles was an experience he would never forget.
He set off from Dover at 7.08am on Monday and finished in 16 hours 15 minutes, arriving in France around 11.30pm.
'I never looked forward for the majority of the swim because I knew it would be soul destroying, but as I got towards the finish and I saw the French lights in the distance I just kept focusing ahead.
'When I could touch the sand with my hands it made me feel like everything had been made worthwhile.
'It was an amazing feeling.'
Mr Harrison is raising money for Hope for Guernsey, which supports medical research that benefits islanders.
He has so far raised almost £2,000.
To donate visit www.giving.gg and search 'James Harrison'.
