One of St Luke’s young people, Felipe, at the age of 16, completed his first solo English Channel swim from Dover to Calais on Monday 14th September.
Felipe was aiming to land in Cap Gris Nez but the wind and rough waves pushed him away so he ended up at Tardinghen, Calais. He swam 21.5 miles and it took him 11 hours, 20 minutes and 41 seconds (2 miles/hour approximately!).
Since finishing his GCSEs in June and with the support of Herts Open Water, Felipe trained hard for this challenge, gradually building up distance and time spent swimming in open water, having ice baths and doing fast feed practice.
Felipe’s Channel swim was in support of YoungMinds Trust because, he says,
“Every young person deserves access to mental health support. The charity provides advice, resources, and essential services for young people, like myself and their families. Every donation helps ensure that no young person has to face their mental health challenges alone.”
The total on the JustGiving page keeps rising and was over £6,500 when last checked.
Felipe thanks everyone for their generosity which will change people’s lives.
Well done Felipe. You’re amazing!
Yvonne Wilder