Donkey spirit to make us all proud

As one man ploughs his way through mile after mile of freezing waters, refusing to give in when all seems lost, it is indeed impossible not be inspired. And a little bit in awe.

Countless hours of training in the chilly waters of La Vallette pools are required just to earn the right to take on the 19 miles of misery that is the North Channel.

Once under way the swimmer, Adrian Sarchet, must battle not only fatigue and extreme cold but countless stinging jellyfish.

There is an unbearable tension to the conclusion of the documentary, which is testament to his never-say-die qualities.

The dedication and spirit required for that one swim are impressive enough. But that it is just one of the marathon swim challenges undertaken by Adrian in his bid to avoid the heart attack his lawyerly lifestyle was leading to and complete the Oceans Seven.

It has taken him from the chilly waters of the English Channel in 2012 to California’s Catalina Channel, then the Strait of Gibraltar, the North Channel, the Kaiwi Channel in Hawaii and, in 2017, Japan’s Tsugaru Strait. And finally, hopefully in a few weeks, his last challenge, from New Zealand’s North to South Islands across the Cook Strait.

Each of those swims would, for most people, rank as a lifetime achievement, something to tell the grandchildren.

Guernsey produces many extraordinary people with tales of grit and determination.

Top racing drivers, tennis players, squash stars and footballers are joined on the pantheon by polar explorers, mountain climbers, long-distance runners, sailors, walkers and people who endure all manner of horrors in the name of charity.

Perhaps it is the Guernsey spirit, that stubbornness born of the donkey, which refuses to give up in the face of life’s challenges.

It is invidious to compare one such accomplishment with another. But if Adrian can become one of just a handful of people ever to complete the Oceans Seven he would do donkeys everywhere proud.