The ultimate swimming challenge raises thousands of pounds to fund local hospice care. On 10 August, Richard Marshall, an Assistant Headteacher from Maldon, swam the English Channel, in support of Farleigh Hospice.
Setting off at 8.26am, he covered a distance of over 47 miles (75km) in just over 19 hours and smashed his fundraising target of £10,000, with his current total standing at just over £13,000.
After costs and with final fundraising plans in place, Farleigh is set to receive a donation of over £10,000 from the challenge.
Swimming the English Channel is one of the hardest challenges there is, with less than 2,700 people that have successfully completed it. Richard said, “I have been open water swimming regularly for a number of years and, in 2018, I swam about 12 miles (19km) from West Mersea to Maldon. I wanted to take on a greater challenge and decided to swim the Channel to raise money for Farleigh Hospice. I have known people that have relied upon their support and it’s a wonderful charity that means so much to so many local people.”
“The weather conditions were good when I set off from Shakespeare Beach and I swam the first two hours continuously without a break. Then it was a case of getting through each hour at a time and focusing on my stroke. At each feed, I would look back towards England and the white cliffs of Dover didn’t seem to be getting any smaller. At one point, I said to the team, “please tell me I’m over half way,” but they wouldn’t tell me and instead said focus on swimming!”
“As the sunset and it got darker it got windy and there was a very strong tide. I could see the yellow lights of France but it was still a long way away. What kept me going was just the sheer determination to see it through, plus my support team who were fantastic.
“As we got closer, I could see the lighthouse of Cap de Gris Nez, a very common place to end swims, but due to the conditions, it was too dangerous to swim ashore there, so the team reassured me they would get me ashore at a safer spot further up the coast, which ended up being another hour or so to swim. I was given one last feed, which was flat coke, which I had agreed with my team as sugar hit to get me to the shore. When I reached the beach and touched the sand with my hand, it was an incredible moment. Standing up after swimming for over 19 hours was a challenge, but the adrenaline helped me manage the unsteadiness. It was an emotional moment to stand there looking back out into the darkness of the English Channel knowing that I had made it.”
Ahead of the challenge, Richard trained intensively for around 18 months.
He explained, “I have completed over 580km (360 miles) of swimming in the last 12 months. After an operation eight years ago, my right ankle has been fused and fixed in position, so it does slow me down in the water.
“Last year, I trained for a 15km (9 miles) swim in the London Docklands in September. Time in the open water is limited during the winter months, so I swim in the pool at the Blackwater Leisure Centre, who have kindly provided me with membership for the year. I have been there most nights after work, training for long distances and to improve my speed and technique. Throughout the winter, I maintain my cold-water exposure with weekly swims in the River Crouch on Saturday mornings.”
Reflecting on his accomplishment, Richard said, “I’m immensely proud of myself for completing this challenge, but it doesn’t feel real yet. I’m planning to go back to Dover and sit there looking out over the channel for a while to let it sink in!
“I’m incredibly grateful for the support I received from my team on the day, as well as the training support from Neptune Channel Swimming in Dover and Blackwater Triathlon Club, and the ongoing encouragement from the team at Farleigh Hospice,” Richard added.
To find out more about Richard’s channel swim and make a donation, go to www.justgiving.com/page/richardchannelswim2025
For more information on the local care and support provided by Farleigh Hospice, go to www.farleighhospice.org.
You can listen to Richard chatting to Sadie Nine on BBC Radio Essex about his experience of swimming the channel, here.
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