News
Posted 20 July 2010 @12h59pm
Pam Anderson completing the British Great
Gas North Swim
1) Why did you decide to enter
the British Gas Great North Swim?
I was watching the news and saw a clip of the 2008 Great North Swim - I knew
in that instant that I would be doing it the next year. I called my dad Bill and
asked him to put the news on and he managed to catch a moment of it. I then
suggested that we do it together and I could tell that it had caught his
imagination. Although he is 86-years-old, I thought it would be within his
capabilities as he is a regular swimmer and has a sense of adventure.
Earlier that year, we had lost my mum Pat to Parkinson's Disease. Both of us
did a lot of swimming in the following months to help us with our grief. We also
found it helpful chatting to people at our local pool, and in fact it was there
that I met my partner Ronnie! I think dad and I needed something to motivate us
and look forward to in the future and once we had decided to do the Great North
Swim, it gave us something to plan and practice for.
2) What is your previous experience of open water swimming?
Neither of us had ever done any open water swimming but my dad said that
years ago my granddad used to swim in the North Sea at Aberdeen on New Year's
Day, so it must run in the blood ! Ronnie is a triathlete so he was able to
advise me on getting a wetsuit and give me the confidence to go for it!
3) Are you a keen swimmer?
Although I had always been a confident swimmer, up until two years ago, I had
never been able to swim crawl or put my head in the water. So at the age of 46 I
bought a pair of goggles and started adult swimming lessons but it was over a
year before I could swim more than one length of crawl without getting out of
puff and having to stop! Then something suddenly clicked and I took part in
Swimathon at my local pool in 2007 and swam 100 lengths of crawl for charity.
4) What type and how much training did you do?
I normally swim around 40 lengths twice a week, and as the swim date got
closer, I did a couple of 64 lengths to get used to doing the one mile distance.
My dad gets up and swims each weekday morning and again, he did a couple of
trial runs of 64 lengths to be confident that he could do the distance.
By June, we had our wetsuits and I took him to the River Tweed to practice
getting the wetsuit on and off and we had a short swim. We both found the suits
tight and restricting to begin with but became used to them. Our next practice
of any distance was at St Mary's Loch, a remote loch high in the Scottish
Borders hills. To make it more reassuring, we chose an evening when there was a
local group of triathletes out practicing with a canoe so that there were other
people around.
We both found swimming in the loch very different to swimming in the pool and
I was extremely glad that we had a handful of practices there to overcome our
nerves. Initially I found the black, freezing water of the loch very daunting
and it worried me what was lurking beneath the surface! Swimming further out, I
felt anxious that there was no bottom or sides to touch and we just had to keep
going. I also found that for the first five minutes, the cold water took my
breath away and I was unable to do my usual stroke.
Dad's biggest problem was being able to see where he was going. Firstly, his
goggles kept steaming up and a tip we learned later was to put your head under
the water to cool it down before putting the goggles on. He then had to practice
"sighting" by lifting his head out of the water regularly to look for points to
swim towards (such as a tree or telegraph pole), as it is very easy to go off
course outdoors and this can add to the distance that you are doing.
5) Did you make a weekend of it in the Lake District?
We booked B&B accommodation in Keswick and decided to make a long weekend out
of it. Ronnie and I regularly travel to the Lakes to go walking and the day
before the swim we climbed a mountain called Haystacks. The weather was
fantastic.
6) Did you have friends or family supporting you?
Ronnie and Nancy.
7) What did you enjoy most about the event?
On the morning of the swim, dad and I were both apprehensive, worrying about
the traffic, the crowds and being pushed or kicked in a mass start event.
However, as we approached Ambleside excitement took over, the weather was
brilliant and there were no signs of the traffic jams that we had anticipated.
There was a 20 minute walk from the car park to the event site which followed
the lakeside and we were able to observe the swimmers taking part who had
reached the turning point of their swim. We could see that there were swimmers
of all abilities and our minds were put at rest that it was not just competitive
swimmers taking part.
From the moment we reached the event site, we just had the most wonderful
time. The atmosphere was fantastic with the commentators at both the start and
the finishing line doing a great job of keeping the excitement going and making
sure that every single swimmer was applauded for finishing the course. The event
was extremely well organised and everything throughout the day went just like
clockwork. After watching some of the swimmers, we had a wander around the
tented village before making our way to the changing tents, leaving our bags at
the baggage area, then registering for the swim half an hour before our "wave".
Prior to our start, Rebecca Addlington came and spoke to the assembled crowd
which was a great boost. At 1.30pm my dad and I kissed and wished each other
luck, as we had agreed to swim at our own pace, and waded out into the lake with
the 200 or so other swimmers in our group.
A wind had got up at this point in the day and I found the first ten minutes
tiring and difficult. Spray was being whipped into our faces as we swam out into
the lake and at this point we had to negotiate our way around other swimmers.
The cold water was making me gasp for breath, and I thought 'what have I got dad
into?'
However, once I got into my stride, I started to do the crawl and enjoy the
swim. Every now and then I would do a bit of breaststroke, just so that I could
take in the beautiful surroundings and see what was going on! I felt very
privileged to be taking part in this great event in what has to be one of the
best locations in the UK. The finishing buoys appeared only too soon and I
completed the course in 43 minutes - around the same time as I take indoors. I
was in no hurry to get dressed when I came out of the lake as the weather was
sunny and I did not feel cold so I made my way to the finishing line to look out
for dad.
My dad finished in 64 minutes and I was very relieved to see him coming out !
The commentator gave my dad a mention as he finished and the crowd gave him a
big cheer - as far as I know he was the oldest person to finish the event. My
dad loved the swim but found it very tiring and at the end he said 'never
again'... but who knows? I think he is very proud of his achievement and has
been recognised in our local paper. Personally, I would love to do the swim
again and hope to do it this year with my partner Ronnie who helped us to train
and was very jealous watching us on the day.
It was a very special day for us, one that we will remember for the rest of
our lives. In doing the event, we raised 395 pounds for Parkinson's Disease in memory
of my mum.
8) Was the cold water as bad as everyone thinks?
The water is very cold, even on a sunny day, and takes your breath away when
you put your head in the water. However, the wetsuit does not allow your body to
get cold so it is only your hands and feet that feel it. Although I felt
comfortable during the swim, my dad was unable to move three or four of his
fingers by the time he finished his swim.
9) What is the best piece of advice you could give to
someone doing it this year?
My best advice is to practice open water swimming beforehand if you want to
enjoy your swim on the day. Swimming in cold, dark water is a different
experience to swimming in a pool and one which I came to love only after
overcoming some of my fears. I met a couple of people on the day of the event
who were fearful and upset prior to their swim because they had not done any
outdoor practice.
10) What is the one item you can't do
without on the day?
Do not be tempted to do the swim without a wetsuit. Last year's Great North
Swim took place on a lovely warm sunny day, and we met a man who had decided to
do the swim without a wetsuit as he assumed the water would be warm. The
temperature of the lake was a chilly 16 degree Celsius and he said that he knew that he was in
big trouble almost as soon as he got into the water and had to be wrapped in an
insulated sheet when he came out.