Channel swimmers complete relay in bathing pool

A parish council chairman from Suffolk was among a group of intrepid swimmers forced to abandon a cross-Channel challenge and complete it in an outdoor bathing pool.

John Bauer, 66, chairman of Barnham Parish Council, was part of the Odyssey 2 relay squad bidding to swim the new 100km (62-mile) route between Alderney in the Channel Islands and Swanage in Dorset.

However, a "significant mechanical problem" with the pilot boat, which sails alongside the swimmers, meant the challenge was called off and completed in a tidal pool at the last minute.

"To say we were deflated would be an understatement. It was disbelief really," Bauer said.

Instead the team of 10 took part in a relay over the same distance at the La Vallette Bathing Pools in Guernsey on 21 August.

This is the second time the team have attempted the challenge after they were forced to stop last year due to the weather conditions.

No stranger to swimming, Bauer joined a local swimming club at the age of seven and went on to play water polo, compete in National Championships and take part in relays with his brother Mark — also part of the Odyssey 2 group.

Speaking after the challenge, Bauer said that although the swim this time round was easier due to the gentler conditions of the pool, the psychological side was harder.

He said: "There [were] people out there who had already given us generous donations towards our two charities, and we felt we really needed to do something to justify that.

"People could see we weren't just stopping and doing nothing; we had continued, and this was hopefully what helped raised a little bit more money."

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said while the team have faced significant issues on both attempts, the group feel they have "unfinished business" and hope to complete a third attempt.

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