Penny and I went to Big Bay this morning, planning to welcome Tash in as she completed her long-trained for Robben Island to Big Bay swim. It's just over 7km, and the expectation was water temperatures of about 13 degrees Celsius. As it happened, off shore the temperature dropped to 10 degrees, and with only 600 metres to go the lifeguards had to make the hard decision to pull Tash out of the water because she was suffering from hyperthermia. She had pushed herself beyond the pain barrier, beyond my comprehension, in an attempt to complete this quest. She's recovered perfectly thanks to the human hot-water bottles, blankets and care that warmed her up. I doff my cap in respect to everyone we dealt with at Big Bay this morning. And Tash? Well, it's clear that there are few as tough and brave as she is.
Update 19 July 2012: Tash completed the swim today in 2 hours and 45 minutes. It's mid-winter, and ironically the water temperature was on average 3 degrees warmer than during this attempt.
Originally started the project to improve my photography skills. Over a 2500 photos later it's become a personal diary. I post pictures that mark my...
@mixiewing She's from the UK (been working here for the last 18 months) and going home on Wednesday. For her it's now a matter of when she gets back here. In the fullness of time I'd be surprised if she does not attempt the Channel one day.
