I (Manda) have swum in Pells Pool in Lewes for the last 2 years and this year it didn’t look like I was going to get my annual dip in but then Paul Bates of Big Rick’s swim team and massive supporter of Macmillan Cancer care posted something about the ‘all out swim’ taking place there. This event started at Tooting Bec Lido but is now held at Pells Pool, Sanford park lido and Brockwell lido. You can typically do a distance of either 2km or 5km and they can be done as relays. Signed up I headed down to Lewes on Sunday morning with Miles and Dom.
The sun was shining and with Coniston in my arms I knew I was capable. I was sharing my wonderfully wide lane with 3 other swimmers. One had put his estimated time for 5k at 60 minutes but he protested he wasn’t a future Olympian and I should go first.
Slowly but calmly the metres ticked away. I spent the first 30 minutes berating myself for setting my watch to 46m when I realised 2 lengths in that that was 50 yards, which would have been a lot easier on the brain!
I got to half way and with a small cap adjustment I ploughed on to bring myself home. After just under 1 hour 20 minutes of swimming I was done. But I love this pool, the sun was shining and it was a wide lane.. So maybe a few extra lengths wouldn’t hurt. I did 4 extra before Dom gave me the ‘look’. Aka ‘your child needs feeding so get out the bleeding pool’!
It was a great event for a brilliant charity and definitely one I will be keen to do again.
Thanks to all the volunteers so for being so wonderful and Pells pool for being so beautiful!
TEAM Mermaids 