Strong currents, cold water and jellyfish will be among the challenges facing a Stockton-on-Tees man when he attempts to swim the English Channel this summer (possibly this weekend) to raise funds for the charity Hearing Dogs for Deaf People.
Roy Stewart, 58, who works as a domestic appliance engineer, took the decision to tackle the amazing feat after seeing his friend Verity Green complete the challenge in August 2021. In doing so, Verity became the first deaf British woman to swim the English Channel.
“I found out about Hearing Dogs through Verity as her hearing dog Bow does a wonderful job looking after her,” Roy said. “As well as alerting her to important sounds, Bow helps Verity connect with the world around her and gives her so much more confidence. He also gives her a reference point to her surroundings when they are out and about, as she suffers from balance issues due to her hearing loss”, he added.
“I have moderate hearing loss which has deteriorated over the years, and I wear hearing aids, so the charity is close to my heart. It costs £40,000 to train and support a partnership between a hearing dog and their deaf recipient, so any money I raise will be gratefully received by the charity.”
“When I watched Verity swim the challenge, I was reminded of something my mum said when I was eleven years old. She told me that I was built for long distance swimming and that I could one day swim the channel if I wanted to. I like being active, and have taken part in several long distance cycling events, so I thought I’d give it a try.”
The English Channel is the 21-mile stretch of water that separates England and France. Viewed as the most iconic swim to tackle in the world, swimmers come from all over the world to attempt the ‘Everest of Swimming’, which typically takes around 14 hours.
Roy explained that he had been building up his training over the last two years since watching Verity’s swim: “I’ve mainly been swimming in my local river, but also in the Lake District to increase my stamina and get acclimatised. More recently I practiced in the North Sea to get used to the salt water, the choppiness of the sea, jellyfish and the cooler temperatures”, said Roy.
Roy will have a support crew on the boat alongside him, featuring his partner Pat, and friends Karen and Verity. His crew will be responsible for feeds, medication, and general communication. Roy is also hoping people will send him messages online and donate to his fundraising during the swim, which his crew will pass on for added motivation.
Roy explained: “The hardest part will be crossing the current towards the end of the swim. This is the point at which, when you are already tired, you need to push yourself even harder.”
Asked what he was most looking forward to, Roy replied: “A hot chocolate on the boat coming back to England!”
The window for Roy’s swim opens on Saturday (20 July) and his start is dependent on weather conditions. Anyone interested in following Roy’s challenge can visit his Just Giving page here >> https://www.justgiving.com/page/roy-stewart-1716047030684
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