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The day of the swim was such an emotional day for me. Watching the boys so full of determination as they set out, battling adverse weather conditions and pushing themselves through the longest swim they had ever attempted — all while raising money for such an important cause — was truly moving.
Seeing your own children achieve something you could never imagine doing yourself makes you realise just how courageous, selfless, and strong-willed they are. It’s everything you hope your child will grow into. The moment they reached the finish, with exhaustion written on their faces but joy shining through, is a memory I will treasure forever.
The skies were dark with cloud when the boys and their support team assembled on the dock at St Gingolph in France ready to start swimming at 7am. Accompanying them from start to finish was a small safety boat driven by Mr Perrenaud of the Aubonne Commune Committee. Aboard to keep an eye, encourage, and ensure the boys paused for static breaks to refuel along the way was Mrs Dunnet, mother of swimmer Oliver, and LCIS Head of PE, and father of the youngest swimmer, Mr Hendry.
Swimming 12.5km is an impressive undertaking at any time. Doing so across a 581,30 km² lake with its own microclimates, under dark skies and with inclement weather predicted, was especially striking. With their bright coloured safety buoys marking their presence in the grey-green landscape, the boys struck out for the invisible opposite shore.
After an hour and a half of steady swimming they crossed the border into Switzerland. During the next half hour, the clouds darkened, and the lake began to go from almost still to choppy, and then with white-topped waves and rain. Far more tiring than swimming in calm water, the boys never faltered in the tough conditions, keeping up a rhythm, staying together and steadily making progress.
Mr Hendry ensured the boys took static breaks from time to time, to drink and refuel. A vital part of any endurance undertaking.
In hour three conditions started to improve. Finally, the sun peeked through the odd gap in the clouds. With four kilometres left to swim tiredness was showing but resolve and determination was absolute.
The last five hundred metres to the bank at Cully, where a supportive group was waiting to congratulate them, was a huge challenge. Seeing the end in sight, exhausted and ready to be finished, makes that last push of effort feel enormous.
“With about 100 metres to go… their bodies are absolutely wrecked. They can barely lift their arms…” commented Mr Hendry. “they have covered all the twelve kilometres in three different types of day. It was cold early morning, then there was wind and rain, and now it’s quite calm and sunny. So, they’ve gone through all conditions.”
After three hours and fifty-six minutes of swimming, covering 12.5 kilometres, the boys put their feet on Swiss soil at Cully. Exhausted, and extremely satisfied.
But this was not the end of the boys’ adventure. On Wednesday evening the following week they arrived at Rolle Sauvetage HQ to meet the team and see around the facilities. Instead of a simple ‘meet and greet’ the boys were treated to a two-hour boat trip on the lake, each of them taking a turn at the helm. When they returned to Rolle snacks and refreshments had been laid on in thanks. The Sauvetage team expressed with generous warmth their enormous gratitude, explaining that this was the first time that a group of young people had chosen to raise money for their organisation. They were touched, and moved, by the actions of Isaac, Oliver and Charlie.
Donations from the swim, in support of Rolle Sauvetage, will remain open until 19th September.
