From jellyfish to Jelly Babies ... Graham on English Channel swim

HE HAD TO WAIT A YEAR FOR CONDITIONS TO BE RIGHT FOR THE CHARITY CHALLENGE

- By DEBORAH HALL

HE got stung by a jellyfish, snacked on Jelly Babies and worked off multiple cramps to complete a challenge that has been four years in the planning.

It was all scheduled for last August for Beverley man Graham Blair to swim the English Channel for charity. Then the weather intervened and, poised and ready as he was at Dover, the huge test of endurance had to be postponed.

Last week, a “swim slot” opened again for Graham and he was there to meet his pilot boat in the early hours of Thursday, July 3. In 10hrs 43mins, Graham swam 42.6 kilometres (26.5 miles), encountering ferries - “many, and big ones” - fueling up on energy drinks and Cadbury's Twirl Bites and making 16,490 arm strokes to power him across to the French coast.