The Long Swim: Lewis Pugh's journey up the Channel 'an extraordinary achievement'
Sky's Thomas Moore joins Lewis Pugh for a section of his epic journey from Land's End to Dover and finds out just how tough it is.
Saturday 25 August 2018 17:54, UK
I now appreciate what endurance swimmer Lewis Pugh is up against.
I swam 1,000m (1km) with him, 10km (6.2 miles) off the coast of Sussex, and it was hard work.
I am used to swimming long distances in a pool, but this was the open ocean.
The strong winds of recent days have eased off, but they've whipped up the English Channel. The skipper of the boat described conditions as "lumpy".
As the sea rose and fell, I was not sure whether my arm stroke would catch water or flail in mid-air. And when I turned to breathe, there was a high chance of being swamped by a wave and choking.
With the salt quickly making me feel nauseous, I could feel my throat closing up. It sapped my energy and every metre was a test.
But I did my kilometre. And I survived.
I could clamber back into the RIB (a rigid-inflatable boat) and recover, but Lewis swam another 7km (4.3 miles).
Respect to the man. His Long Swim from Land's End to Dover is an extraordinary achievement.