It’s been said many times that there’s a fine line between bravery and stupidity. I think it’s fair to say as a non-swimmer, deciding to swim over 100km between Inverness and Fort William, through some of the coldest and deepest waters in the UK definitely rides that line; add to that a 500kg Powerlifting total (Squat, Bench Press and Deadlift) and a summit of Ben Nevis in the same week... Now we’re talking.
Events like this aren’t just one misguided decision, they take months of planning (18 to be precise), a highly skilled and dedicated support crew, generous sponsors, and hundreds of hours of training. ‘Naïve enough to start and stubborn enough to finish’ has been bandied amongst the team as we’ve slowly wrapped our heads around the enormity of this challenge. Fortunately, with a cause this important, it's very easy to put our physical discomfort into perspective when we consider how vital it is to protect our natural world. Thoughts like this which help us mentally dissociate from how we feel, will be incredibly valuable to our performance throughout this swim.
Temperature has been chief amongst our concerns for the Great Glen Project, spending hours in waters as cold as 8°C carries high risk and requires serious preparation. Throughout my training, the waters at Diver’s Cove (Godstone, Surrey) dropped to lows of 1.6°C. 5 minutes in to my first swim in these Baltic conditions I was stopped in my tracks by brain freeze, it was around this time that I realised just how dangerous cold water can be especially to the unprepared, but as I bobbed around the freezing lake I was incredibly grateful that brain freeze was all I had to deal with that day. ZONE3’s Aspire Thermal Wetsuit and Heat Tech Gloves, Hat & Socks kept all but my face warm and toasty, enough for me to get the miles in and build my tolerance to freezing conditions.
The problem with challenges like the Great Glen Project is that they look and sound far sexier than they actually are. Anyone who’s watched an ultra of any kind knows they’re really not spectator sports, and then for the athletes themselves, the race is long enough. Don’t get us started on the training… For Olly and I long swims took an extra toll when we were relegated from our beautiful lake, and forced by our London based careers to swim in pools, or as we now call them, Chlorine Jail. Fortunately in ZONE3 buoyancy shorts, even pool sessions felt good as the improved positioning afforded by the shorts improved both our speed and efficiency allowing us to cover more distance in the limited time before the last train home and recover faster between sessions.
The Great Glen Project is first and foremost, a test of resilience. The ability of the body and mind to repeatedly endure and adapt to seemingly endless hardship. From Central Nervous System (CNS) fatigue from moving thousands of kilos across a single Powerlifting session, to forcing food down with closed eyes in an effort to recover between back-to-back 12 hour swims. On top of all of this, you must ensure you have a team and kit that you can rely on. I can’t thank ZONE3 enough for all their support as Olly and I take on this epic challenge. Our first sponsor to come on board, the gang at ZONE3 believed in this vision and were willing to take us under their wing. Having spoken with their founder and CEO; James Lock, I discovered that we both had the same passion to unite people through sport and the exploration of what our bodies are capable of. Adding to that a wealth of knowledge & understanding about open water swimming, the best made gear I have ever used and an entire team of just genuinely kind, brilliant and all-round stand out people, ZONE3 are truly unrivalled.
The Great Glen Project will take between the 2nd and 9th of September, starting in Invergordon, the home of the World’s Strongest Brothers, Tom and Luke Stoltman. I will attempt my 500kg Powerlifting total before Olly and I embark on our 5 day staged swim from Inverness to Fort William across the Great Glen Way. Once Arrived at Fort William, we will summit Ben Nevis to cap off a week of epic adventures. All in support of WWF UK and their mission to protect our natural world.
You can follow the Great Glen Project on Instagram @greatglenproject and donate via our just giving page: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/greatglenproject
Please find our ZONE3 kit list below:
Essential Jammers
