Former Warriors and Scotland centre Alex Grove completed the challenge of a lifetime by swimming the English Channel in under 14 hours to raise funds for Acorns Children’s Hospice.
Grove’s planned swim was postponed for five days because of poor weather but he made a successful crossing in 13 hours and 57 minutes from Dover to Cap Gris Nez in improved conditions.
“It was a long and gruelling swim but that’s exactly what I expected and had prepared for,” Grove said.
“Swimming the Channel is as much a mental challenge as it is a physical one, probably more in fact. My longest swim prior to Thursday was a six hour swim.
” The Channel took just shy of 14 hours. Ultimately, I knew if I could deal with being uncomfortable for large chunks of time then I’d be fine.
“I spent a lot of time on my mental preparation. I visualised walking out of the water onto French soil every day for the last two years. As they say: the body cannot go where the mind has not been.
“There were tough moments during the swim of course. The first three-and-a-half hours were a real grind, I was in a battle right from the start.
“The water was lumpy at the start and I wasted a huge amount of energy trying to plough through the waves instead of rolling with them. I had multiple jellyfish stings, I had to pull one off me which was wrapped round my neck but fortunately the sting itself wasn’t too bad.
“The crew on the boat saw a few seals and I actually hit one as I lifted my arm out of the water. It was dark so I couldn’t see them in the water but they are known for being rather inquisitive. As tough as the swim was, there were some really special moments. Watching the sunrise was incredible and provided a real boost when I needed it.
“I started to see the sand underneath me as I approached Wissant beach and I knew I’d made it then. As soon as it was shallow enough to stand up I did and I walked out exactly as I’d imagined for the last two years. Huge relief and delighted that all the training and preparation had paid off.”
Having completed the swim, which has so far raised more than £30,000 for Acorns, Grove fell asleep on the pilot boat – accompanied by his younger brother Oli – on the return to Folkestone
Grove decided to raise money for Acorns having visited the charity while he was still playing for Warriors.
“Given the seriousness of the children’s illnesses, everyone seemed very positive and there were always smiles on faces,” Grove said.
“Tash [Grove’s wife] and I are extremely fortunate to have two healthy children, Imogen and Ottilie, and we’ve certainly realised that having children puts many things into perspective.”
You can support Alex Grove and Acorns here