Sheppey Channel Champions

14/08/2026

10/08/2026

Well what a day!

Five out of five attempts got pulled / stopped today due to the conditions turning bad.

This doesn’t mend our broken hearts but it goes to show that we didn’t give up without a fight.

I’m so so proud of my team, we showed grit, commitment, courage & determination.

It was genuinely the hardest & most gut wrenching decision to make, we cried most of the way home & then again when we reached home but it was although the saddest, also the best & right decision on the day.

Us, the boat crews & observers health, both physically & mentally must come first.

We all had two swims & we’re just about to embark on the third round, before having the all important ‘conversation’ listening the the crews 18yrs of experience and advice we decided to head home 🏠 as it was looking like it could be another 8hrs due to high winds causing swells hard to swim through & a +4 knott currents to battle through before even getting within the last 2/3 miles of French coast.

Thanks go to the team SwimTayka for their support & training
Crew on Annatssia for keeping us safe & Camila our observer for her advice & support.

But mostly our THANKS goes to YOU 🫵🏽 OUR supporters in ALL capacities, family, friends, clients, and strangers following our FB journey for the last 18ths .. we are INCREDIBLY GRATEFUL & LUCKY to have you all.

The love & messages we’ve had have been overwhelming 🫶🏽

Thank you

With YOUR help we’ve raised Over £12,000 for an incredible charity & that’s what it was about, helping young children to swim, learning lifesaving skills & techniques in drowning prevention & so much more …

Touching France 🇫🇷 was just the bonus ###

10/08/2026

From realistic Rita, the Channel Champions and the crew on board Anastasia

It has been decided that the deteriorating conditions ( increasing wind and swell) have caused us to abort the swim.

Mother Nature has beaten us,we are all extremely disappointed but ok.

The challenge of swimming against a 4knot current was not sustainable so we respected our pilots experience and advice and are now on our way back to Dover.

10/08/2026

An amazing write up from the BBC 💜

Six women relay across the Channel, 100 years after Trudy Ederle set swim record.

10/08/2026

And Rachel is back in for her second swim!

10/08/2026

💙 A little update - our fundraising total is now an amazing £12,407.23! 🥳

We’re genuinely so grateful to everyone who has donated, shared our posts, sent messages of support or simply followed along with the challenge. Every bit of support means so much to us - and, most importantly, helps SwimTayka continue their work giving children access to swimming and water safety education. 🌊

There’s still time left if you’d like to support the team, but honestly, we’re already blown away by how generous everyone has been.

Thank you! ❤️

https://sheppeychannelchampions.co.uk

10/08/2026

Update from Emily:

So my second swim was better than the first - it didn’t make me feel sea sick for starters !

I did face plant a jelly fish though which made my nose and lip sting like crazy

The swell is big though - this isnt easy

10/08/2026

And another change over is complete - Sue is back in the water for her next hour swim

10/08/2026

Emily back in the water on her second swim!

10/08/2026

And we are onto the second rotation... Teresa is back in for her second swim.

The team are about 1/3 of the way through their crossing!