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Meet Kelly Lowndes ... a mother, wife, swimmer and dreamer. In September 2018, Kelly will attempt to swim the English Channel Backstroke!
Her dream is to be the first Australian to swim the English Channel Backstroke.
Anyone who has ever met Kelly will testify to what an amazing woman she is. She trains hard, has an amazing positive attitude and inspires everyone she meets to be their best! This page has been set up by her training buddies from Endless Limits Personal Training. We want to help Kel achieve her goal by helping her raise some of the funds needed to do the Channel, with her support team in toe.
In a nutshell Kelly has been swimming since utero! She has been a competitive sprint swimmer all her life. In her younger years she was also a competitive lifesaver. Her stroke has always been backstroke. She is a Masters swimmer, Open water enthusiast, pool and river swimmer.
Her story of the English Channel journey started in 2016, when she trialed longer competition swims 400m, 800m and 1500m. She did extremely well and won them all.
During this new journey, she had found a new strength in long distance swimming.
Up until 2016, she had been competitive in 25m, 50m, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m Backstroke and decided to start long distance training.
In November 2016 Kelly became a marathon swimmer after entering the MS Swimathon and successfully swum Backstroke for 12 hours.
This year Kelly has started a strict training program to prepare her for the swim of her life and is sharing her progress. Please come and follow her journey;
Facebook : (https://www.facebook.com/swimkel/) Instagram :(https://www.instagram.com/swimkels/)
Information on the English Channel & Kel's swim;
How far is it to cross the Channel?
Approximately 21 miles (32 kilometres) on a good day. Can be over 40 kilometres with tides & currents.
How long is it likely to take?
If all is going to plan - between 12 - 14 hours. If Kel hits tides and rough weather 16-18 hours+
What sort of sea conditions is Kel likely to expect?
Sea-state can change very quickly in the Channel, with little warning. The Pilots have considerable knowledge of the local waters and you will expect them to give you a fair chance of a successful swim without placing you at risk. The Pilot will retain the right to stop the swim if he considers it inadvisable/unsafe to continue. You should hope for Force 1/2 but be prepared for Force 4/5.
Where do Channel Swims take place?
Kel's Swim will start at or near Shakespeare's Cliff or Samphire Hoe (in between Folkestone and Dover), and aim to finish at or near Cap Gris Nez (between Boulogne and Calais). When the Swim has finished, her Pilot will bring her back to England. Kel's swim will start with her entering the water backwards and finish the swim, by walking up onto the french shores backwards.
What is special about the Channel?
The English Channel is a unique and demanding swim, considered by many to be the ultimate long distance challenge. It isn't just the distance that is the challenge, but more, the variable conditions that you are likely to encounter. These may vary for mirror like conditions to wind force 6 and wave heights in excess of 2 metres. The water is cold and you are strongly advised to acclimatize to it, there is a good chance of meeting jellyfish, seaweed and the occasional plank of wood. It is the busiest shipping lane in the world with 600 tankers passing through and 200 ferries/seacats and other vessels going across daily and Kel wants to takle this!
What temperature is the water in the Channel?
During the Swim season (July to September) the expectant temperature ranges from 14 to 18 degrees Celsius. July starts off cold..... August has the best of it..... September can cool off quickly if the air temperature drops! Additionally, the nights are noticeably longer in September. 2012 was a particularly bad year and night time temperatures in August and September sometimes plummeted to 6-8 degrees C.
What about feeding during the Swim?
Kel will be taking refreshments in from her support team - by cup .. by bottle/squeeze-pack etc. .. handed directly to her (without direct contact!) ..from a feeding-pole and cup .. by bottle on a line etc.
Fact.
More people have climbed Mount Everest!
Her dream is to be the first Australian to swim the English Channel Backstroke.
Anyone who has ever met Kelly will testify to what an amazing woman she is. She trains hard, has an amazing positive attitude and inspires everyone she meets to be their best! This page has been set up by her training buddies from Endless Limits Personal Training. We want to help Kel achieve her goal by helping her raise some of the funds needed to do the Channel, with her support team in toe.
In a nutshell Kelly has been swimming since utero! She has been a competitive sprint swimmer all her life. In her younger years she was also a competitive lifesaver. Her stroke has always been backstroke. She is a Masters swimmer, Open water enthusiast, pool and river swimmer.
Her story of the English Channel journey started in 2016, when she trialed longer competition swims 400m, 800m and 1500m. She did extremely well and won them all.
During this new journey, she had found a new strength in long distance swimming.
Up until 2016, she had been competitive in 25m, 50m, 100m, 200m, 400m, 800m and 1500m Backstroke and decided to start long distance training.
In November 2016 Kelly became a marathon swimmer after entering the MS Swimathon and successfully swum Backstroke for 12 hours.
This year Kelly has started a strict training program to prepare her for the swim of her life and is sharing her progress. Please come and follow her journey;
Facebook : (https://www.facebook.com/swimkel/) Instagram :(https://www.instagram.com/swimkels/)
Information on the English Channel & Kel's swim;
How far is it to cross the Channel?
Approximately 21 miles (32 kilometres) on a good day. Can be over 40 kilometres with tides & currents.
How long is it likely to take?
If all is going to plan - between 12 - 14 hours. If Kel hits tides and rough weather 16-18 hours+
What sort of sea conditions is Kel likely to expect?
Sea-state can change very quickly in the Channel, with little warning. The Pilots have considerable knowledge of the local waters and you will expect them to give you a fair chance of a successful swim without placing you at risk. The Pilot will retain the right to stop the swim if he considers it inadvisable/unsafe to continue. You should hope for Force 1/2 but be prepared for Force 4/5.
Where do Channel Swims take place?
Kel's Swim will start at or near Shakespeare's Cliff or Samphire Hoe (in between Folkestone and Dover), and aim to finish at or near Cap Gris Nez (between Boulogne and Calais). When the Swim has finished, her Pilot will bring her back to England. Kel's swim will start with her entering the water backwards and finish the swim, by walking up onto the french shores backwards.
What is special about the Channel?
The English Channel is a unique and demanding swim, considered by many to be the ultimate long distance challenge. It isn't just the distance that is the challenge, but more, the variable conditions that you are likely to encounter. These may vary for mirror like conditions to wind force 6 and wave heights in excess of 2 metres. The water is cold and you are strongly advised to acclimatize to it, there is a good chance of meeting jellyfish, seaweed and the occasional plank of wood. It is the busiest shipping lane in the world with 600 tankers passing through and 200 ferries/seacats and other vessels going across daily and Kel wants to takle this!
What temperature is the water in the Channel?
During the Swim season (July to September) the expectant temperature ranges from 14 to 18 degrees Celsius. July starts off cold..... August has the best of it..... September can cool off quickly if the air temperature drops! Additionally, the nights are noticeably longer in September. 2012 was a particularly bad year and night time temperatures in August and September sometimes plummeted to 6-8 degrees C.
What about feeding during the Swim?
Kel will be taking refreshments in from her support team - by cup .. by bottle/squeeze-pack etc. .. handed directly to her (without direct contact!) ..from a feeding-pole and cup .. by bottle on a line etc.
Fact.
More people have climbed Mount Everest!
Organizer
Shallon Garton
Organizer
Saint Aubyn QLD
