Covid Restrictions Did Not Stop These Swimmers

Covid Restrictions did not stop these swimmers

By Karen Quartermain

August 15, 2020

Meet Team Hotel who following a very restricted 6 months filled with uncertainties and a lack of training opportunities, swam the English Channel in a fantastic time of 12 hours and 37 minutes on 15th August. This team are Daniel Owen-Parr, James Lord, Andrew Mossford and Gemma Hodgson.

Team Member Andy wrote the following about their Adventure "Poetry in Ocean":

At Salford Quays many years ago

The seeds of a great adventure were sewn

As Uswim were able to offer the chance

For people to make, their own way to France

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So Captain Dan, The ex Marine

Rekindled the seeds, of a childhood dream

He wanted to build a swimming panel

To help him swim across The Channel

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His first recruit was the lovely Gemma

Our very own sparkling Cinderella

Who really only had one wish

To avoid the bloody jellyfish

(I'm afraid dear Gemma, you wish is declined

The buggers are out there all the time!)

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Then at Together, he spread his dream

To see if anyone else was keen

And before they'd fully heard the plan

James and Andrew raised their hands

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So Team Hotel was now 'a thing'

The training needed to begin

Came the Challenge the had taken on

Was clearly not a trivial one

It's one thing to swim up and down in a pool

But out at sea there are different rules

Mother nature rules the roost out there

And all you can do is be prepared

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The training was going really well

As they slowly morphed into Michael Phelps

But epics like this are seldom straight forward

As so it transpired as their plans were aborted

Firstly Dan moved to Cyprus

Then the world was engulfed by the Covid virus

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For 3 Months their swimming completely stopped

But not for a minute did they let their heads drop

As soon as the lockdown restrictions were gone

They turned the after burners on

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Inspired by the exploits of Solo Jo

They hit it hard it was go go go

Following Karen's intense training plan

Up and down Salford Quays they swam

In the cold the rain and torrential hail

Their determination never failed

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And to get them used to whats lying ahead

Dave took them off to Windermere instead

And to Colwyn Bay to get their skin

Accustomed to some jellyfish stings

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So before they knew it the big day arrived

Dan had flown in to be by their side

But just as they thought it was full steam ahead

Another problem reared its head

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The government did what the government can

And enforced an impromptu quarantine ban

But the powers that be they battled hard

And made a pact with the French coastguard

The swim was back on the end of this torture

They had agreed that they wouldn't get out of the water

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On the 15th August just before dawn

A haunting misty English morn

Dan set off from the shore in Dover

The imposing white cliffs towering over

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And fortune now seemed to favour the team

The calm conditions an absolute dream

The wind let out not a single gasp

The sea like a swell of molten glass

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And so it continued as James went in

Andrew as well to do his stint

And Gemma did well to do her first hour

Having puked all over the Connemara