Week 19 - Team DCT take on Team GB
Weekly Review
NB Please scroll to the bottom for a selection of the photos taken
What does DCT mean to you?
So many people refer to Dover Channel Training as DCT, it just rolls off the tongue. As we are now in the final month of the training season, I’ve been reflecting on the Class of 2022. The beginning of May seems like forever ago, and it also seems like just yesterday.
We’ve seen some phenomenal training and big day achievements. We’ve seen people support each other.
What’s unusual is that we haven’t had anyone that stands out to me as hard work and there is often one or two. By hard work I mean they need a lot of support to achieve what they need to do, or need a lot of help staying in the water. That’s really not happened this year - you’ve been an incredible group, a pleasure to work with. Thank you.
We’ve watched dream after dream come true.
So DCT also stands for Dreams Come True.
Or, as Danny said at the weekend, Dream Catcher Tribe. See further down for a newly designed long sleeved t-shirt to commemorate this.
Sunday saw a different type of challenge. Maddie, a fabulous young swimmer from my swimming club (Guildford City Swimming Club), has recently been selected to Team GB for a European cup 10km swim in Barcelona. She came along to get some more salt water practice.
She’s clearly competitive and so it seems are many of you! I set the challenge for you all to see how far you could get before she caught you up, I even suggested cutting corners to get that little bit of an edge and gave you a head start!
She managed 2 laps in about an hour, impressive stuff. She caught most people before the end of the first lap. However, Mandi (who was in the kayak) was very impressed by just how fast you all swam. You rose to the challenge - well done! We now know that should your pilot ask you for an hour of power that you know just how to do it!
Good luck Maddie - you have DCT behind you. Well done DCT you have inspired a young swimmer with a bright career ahead of her.
Shout outs
Training
Congratulations to:
Dominic, Brett & Marion for your 6 hour swims
Channel swimmer on the beach
This week’s shout outs, here’s what I saw (in no particular order):
Michael Sheppard for your English Channel Solo on 2nd September in a time of 12hrs 38mins
Paula Cherriman for your Windermere solo in 7hrs 15mins
Aspire Gazelles for your English Channel Relay on 3rd September in a time of 13hrs 51mins
Amanda Bowden - Jersey to France soloist
Zoe Green - Channel Swimmer
Michael Sheppard - Channel Swimmer
Swim stats
Note: Water temperature taken during the swim session in the harbour. Air temperature, wind direction & wind speed taken from the Port of Dover app. Please remember that we get a lot of shelter in the harbour thanks to the walls.
Saturday:
Swimmers: 11
Water temperature: 21.3C
Air temperature: 18.7C
Conditions: F4 E. Flat water. Sunny with whispy clouds. Flat water most of the time. A bit choppier by the ferry wall as the tide came in.
Sunday:
Swimmers: 12
Water temperature: 20.4C
Air temperature: 17.4C
Conditions: F4 SSW. Light clouds. Sun breaking through.
Volunteers & beach crew
Thank you to everyone who helped out this weekend - either a little or a lot. Thank you to Mandi, Dirk, Paul, Amanda & Keith in particular.
Watch out for new ways to get involved and help from next year.
The adventures of Dover Dave
Dover Dave continues to live his best life. This week he spend time with Peter, he’s still a cheeky little felt man.
This week he’s with Paul. In the hour that Paul was in the kayak on Saturday he got up to no good on the beach. It could be a long week for you!
Paddlefish Ponderings - The power of the team
“If everyone is moving forward together , then success takes care of itself.”
As I said at the beginning of this blog, the Class of 2022 is a team like no other. I have seen you support each other, somehow knowing just the right time to reach out to each other for a little bit of support or to celebrate the big and little achievements.
I’ve felt you reflect the support that we give you back at us in what has been a challenging time for me (working 7 days a week and evenings is not for the feint hearted!). Thank you.
I’ve seen you clap when I ask ‘is there anyone here for the first time?’ (of course I know the answer to the question). You’ve made new people feel very welcome.
We’ve all been new and it can be daunting. It’s natural to create friendship groups and they can become cliquey, but not with the class of 2022 - you welcome all.
Have you felt the support? Have you given support?
I remember a training session a few years ago when I was in the water and training for an event. I suddenly lost my mojo and with it the ability to swim. I was by the slopey groyne. I bobbed there, not sure how I was going to get back to the beach given that all I could do in that moment was doggy paddle. My training buddy, Julian, had got in before me and I’d done my best to avoid him in the water as I was in such a poor place. Then I saw him 50m or so away. I’m ashamed to say that ducked to try and avoid him seeing me. Even in that dark moment I knew that was futile, there’s a limit to how long I could duck as I’d need to breathe! So I came back to the surface and he spotted me.
I tried to argue that he should carry on, I’m not in a great place and will be getting out. Julian wasn’t having any of it!! ‘Swim with me’ he instructed. ‘I can’t’ I replied.
‘Just 20 strokes’. OK, I could do that. So I did and then stopped again. Julian was kind and calm and said ‘let’s do another 20’. 20 became 30 and 40. Then five minutes and eventually back to the beach. Rather than getting out I took a feed and then carried on.
On my own, I could not have done that. With support from a buddy I managed to get past that dark moment. Julian put me ahead of his own training for a short while until I found my ability to swim again.
I’ve heard similar stories from the Class of 2022.
I’ve seen people chat on the beach after training and put the world to rights.
I’ve seen home baking shared.
I’ve seen people agree to crew for each other.
You are a formidable team.
Community is one of our core strengths. It breeds success.
So my pondering for you is this - you’re great at giving support to others, now that you know the impact that it has on the other person I’m sure you’ll continue to look out for each other. How quick are you to accept support? Remember the lovely feeling of giving support? By allowing someone else the privilege of helping you, you are actually giving mutual support.
Remember to accept help as well as give it. Support multiplies, it doesn’t divide.
Reminders
Bookings can be made up to 48 hours ahead and be cancelled or rescheduled up to 48 hours ahead also. The system doesn’t arrange automatic refunds, so if you would like a refund, please check out our refund policy and get in touch if you would like a refund.
If you miss this deadline then I’ll book you in if I have the available time and I have your disclaimer. There is an admin fee if you don’t use the self-service option.
Arrive on time and attend the mandatory briefing. The briefing is generally at 09:50
Wear the right colour hat - red for soloists, yellow for relay swimmers
Those of you who are members, please remember to cancel your membership when you no longer want it. You can do that within a membership period and still have all the benefits of it, this will prevent it from auto renewing next year. You can do this within your account, by following the link in the confirmation email when you took out your membership, or by asking me to do it for you.
Looking ahead
On Tour
Dover Harbour Board have recently announced some additional piling works in the harbour. Initially, they were planned for outside of our training hours, but then changed to shorter periods of piling over a longer time period and now partially within our training time frame.
I have been assured that I will be advised, in advance, whether there will be piling on the Saturday. Once I hear I will confirm the training location. I’ll post any changes of location in our Facebook group and within the Dates & Altered sessions section of our website. I’ll also email anyone booked in for the session at the point I hear.
We do still have one formal ‘On Tour date left though.
Saturday 17th September
In all cases, the location will be either Ramsgate or Hythe and the location will be decided on the Thursday before the swim.
End of season celebration
It’s become a bit of a tradition that, rather than fade away as the season progresses that we get together for an end of season celebration on the last weekend of training. So mark the date in your calendar - Saturday 24th September - bring a picnic. We’ll bring inflatables!!
The theme is Grease - make of that what you want! We’re looking forward to some fun & creative outfits.
Chilli Dips
We’ll be starting up our monthly Chilli Dips again from October. Like last year, we’ll aim to visit a number of locations. I’m speaking with a coaching colleague about the logistics for a Surrey chilli dip option too. Watch this space.
Halloween(ish) Fright Night
We’re planning on doing a night swim / bob in October - those who don’t like swimming in the dark need not apply!!
This won’t be a training session, just a bit of fun. We’ll do our very best to make you jump in the water - definitely one where you should expect the unexpected.
Provisional date is Saturday 22nd October.
Spotlight in the shop
New design
We have a new design long sleeved t-shirt arriving soon.
We’ve been reflecting on what an incredible group of swimmers the class of 2022 is. Everyone has done what has been asked of them and the success rate has been impressively high.
I’m often thought about our little bubble as being a bit of a dream factory and so we have a long sleeved t-shirt to show for it.
AWDis Triblend T Long Sleeve
We always think of DCT meaning Dover Channel Training (which it does), it also means ‘Dreams Come True’ or ‘Dream Catcher Tribe’. What does DCT mean to you?
Take the magic of DCT with you wherever you go with this casual classic, this long sleeve T is a perfect addition your everyday wardrobe. Great for layering and for the cooler months, team with jeans for a relaxed look.
Fabric 50% Polyester, 25% Viscose, 25% Cotton
Weight: 160gsm
Photos
A few photos from the weekend….
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