Her feat added another long distance swimming achievement to the Flambard family’s list following husband Richard’s cross-Channel success at the weekend.’I feel fine now, just a few aches and pains in my wrists,’ Judith said this morning.’It was a strange feeling, setting off in the pitch dark, but it was a very, very good swim, nice and flat and with good tides, despite the weather.’She said that it was thought the swim would have to be aborted at one point because visibility was so poor but her husband canoed ahead of her for an hour and a half to show her the way so she could continue.’Once we could see Gorey it was okay, but I didn’t really see the land at all from Green Island all the way round to Corbière and I had to rely completely on the support team on the boat to tell me the way, they were really great.
And there were supporters at Corbière and Noirmont to cheer me on and that really helped keep me going.
The lack of visibility was a bit worrying at times – and it would have been nice to have seen what I was swimming past.’But she said that she was not planning to make another attempt just to see what she had missed in the fog.Her achievement is all the sweeter because she could barely swim at all when she first met her husband Richard about ten years ago.’The round Island was something I wanted to do, and now I’ve done it.
There won’t be a second attempt and Alison Streeter’s cross Channel record is quite safe from me.
I’m quite happy now to withdraw to the sidelines and keep on helping out with the juniors.’Meanwhile, with visibility down to 50m Dee Richards’ round Island swim attempt due to have been taking place today, has been postponed.
If the weather improves sufficiently it is hoped that she will be able to take to the water tomorrow morning.
