Four years ago Prisha Tapre, then a 12 year old swimmer at Watford SC, declared she wanted to swim 21 miles across the English Channel.
That was a challenge set. She joined the club’s group training at Denham water-ski lake as well as continuing her normal pool sessions.
Fast forward 4 years and Prisha, now a talented 16 year old, has completed countless BLDSA (British Long Distance Swimming Association) swims. These have included brutally cold Dover swims, swimming through the stunning scenery of Lake Windermere and the challenging Ullswater 2 way swim. Over this time the encouragement she received from the open water swimming community has been wonderful, she has met lots of channel swimmers and legends of the marathon swimming world.
Jeremy Irvine, Open Water Coach at Watford Swimming Club who has been guiding her through her training said: “In addition to her usual club training Prisha’s has been swimming 6hrs, 7hrs and 10hr sea swims. Mental preparation including the knowledge that you have done all the preparation, is key to conquering the Channel. Prisha never skips a session despite loathing early mornings.”
On Wednesday 4th September at 02:10am Prisha stepped off the beach near Dover into cold, dark, choppy water knowing she was ready. The start had been delayed by bad weather which meant that the swim would now be on a big spring tide.
Prisha’s escort boat “Lousie Jane 2” was piloted by Andy King with a support crew that included her father Rahul, Paul Meyler, Megan Reader, Felipe Irvine and Jeremy Irvine.
Prisha knew what to expect as she headed out towards the world’s busiest shipping lanes. Time is a critical factor when swimming the Channel. It’s vital to cross South West shipping lane (running East to West) and get into the separation zone before the tide turns and pulls swimmers south along the French coast. Crossing the zone can be especially challenging because its where debris and jellyfish congregate – Prisha was stung a few times but carried on.
Prisha’s years of training had given her the stamina to battle on as the tide swept her down the North East shipping lane towards the Cap Gris-Nez. She could see the French cliffs getting further away, so junior training buddies Megan Reader and Felipe Irvine joined her as support swimmers for one hour each to lift her spirits. This worked and Prisha’s pace increased again as the French cliffs came within reach.
Jeremy Irvine continued: “The wind had also picked up and big waves were crashing against the rocks. I can’t describe the joy as we watched her carefully climb the rocks and stand clear of the water.
Prisha had beaten the Channel in an impressive 11hrs 48mins to become a Channel Swimmer”.
If you have been inspired by Prisha’s story please consider donating to her chosen charity using this link.
Akshaya Parta UK provides hot meals to underprivileged school children here and in India. The charity has a base in Watford that provides healthy meals to schools throughout North London.
