Sea Donkey is a true inspiration
WHEREVER you are in Guernsey, you are never very far from the sea.
It is easy to take for granted how fortunate we are to be able to take a dip in the briny for free whenever we want, many even braving the chilly waters in the depths of winter.
The weekend was testament to just how popular swimming is in Guernsey, with hundreds of people taking part in challenges including the BWCI Castle Swim and the Swim for Lynn.
These are impressive feats but few can claim to capture islanders' imagination quite like our Sea Donkey.
Adrian Sarchet’s ever-increasing list of open-water accomplishments includes swimming around Guernsey, across the English Channel and completing the Oceans Seven challenge.
And yesterday he completed what he described as his hardest and most memorable challenge yet – to swim for 24 hours at La Vallette bathing pools, starting on Saturday afternoon and continuing through the night.
It will come as no surprise to anyone who has followed his previous challenges to hear that he smashed it.
More than 400 swimmers joined him at various stages over the 24 hours to keep him company and spur him on and he managed to raise more than £100,000 for Vive La Vallette LBG and Guernsey Disability Swimming LBG.
A ‘swimming hero’ was how one islander described him yesterday. And few would argue with that.