Sea Donkey eyes last Oceans Seven swim
SEA SWIMMER Adrian Sarchet has announced his intention to attempt the final Oceans Seven swim to complete a rare challenge that only 20 people have achieved so far.
With it, he will also be raising money for special equipment to be installed at Beau Sejour.
Mr Sarchet, also known as the Sea Donkey, is scheduled to swim the Cook Strait – the 16 miles from North Island to South Island in New Zealand between 1 and 6 March this year.
It marks the final leg of the marathon challenge of swimming seven open water channels and, if successful, means Mr Sarchet will be one of just three Brits to complete the Oceans Seven.
Although Cook Strait is not the longest leg, it presents some of the most uncertain and unpredictable currents.
The challenge was devised in 2008 and is often referred to as the swimming equivalent of the Seven Summits mountaineering challenge.
‘As much as the rankings are a nice incentive, this was a challenge I set myself 10 years ago now so I am determined to get it done,’ he said.
The Cook Strait is renowned for its chilly waters, strong currents, jellyfish and relatively common shark sightings.
‘We’ve been waiting for the go-ahead on this for three years and I got confirmation of the date I could swim just before Christmas. It’s a very difficult swim to get into because there’s only one man in charge of it and only a handful of swimmers get to do it a year.
‘I’d love to say I’ve been in shape ready to go at the drop of a hat for three years, but my team and I just maintained a base level of fitness and then I was actually due to swim from Guernsey to France in September but couldn’t due to high winds, so I was already in pretty good shape for that.
‘Cook Strait is a very difficult stretch of water, a lot of swimmers get stung by jellyfish and 15 to 20 swimmers a year see sharks.
‘I suppose there’s always fear when you’re sea swimming but I’m excited to give it a go and determined to get it done.’
However, his swim is not just a test of strength, bravery and endurance – he is swimming to raise money for Guernsey Disability Swimming LBG in support of the Beau Sejour Leisure Centre’s ‘Poolpod Appeal’.
The Poolpod Appeal hopes to update the centre’s existing pool hoist which is used to lift swimmers with mobility difficulties into and out of the pool.
The current hoist is coming to the end of its lifespan and rather than simply replacing it with an identical substitute, Beau Sejour would like to take advantage of the revolutionary equipment which was developed for the London 2012 Paralympic Games.
As a director of the Guernsey Disability Swimming charity, Mr Sarchet knows first hand how valuable the new equipment would be, how much more dignity it gives to swimmers with mobility restrictions and how it can provide opportunities for many more people to get involved with swimming locally who might not be able to at the moment.
‘Although this is a solo event, it’s a team pursuit and none of this would have happened without my training crew, support crew and all those integral people who have supported me over the years, so thank you,’ he said.
n To donate visit www.seadonkeyfilm.com/charity-fundraising.
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