Our Victory!

On Saturday morning, August 6th, at around 6am London Time, my hand slid through the sandy shore of Sangatte, France. It was a moment I have dreamed of for a very long time, and when it actually happened, I could not believe it! It was like a dream. Before I dive into the details of the final moments of the swim, I am sure you would like to read a recap of the swim in it's entirety, so let's go back to the start!

At around 2pm in the afternoon on Friday, August 5th, K and I lugged 25.5 Liters of water, all of our supplies, and food down to the Dover marina to meet our boat pilot, Andy King, and board our vessel, the Louise Jane.

All of our supplies.

While we began getting everything ready, I met my CSA (Channel Swimming Association) official, Steve Franks, and our other crew member, another Andy. We were prepared earlier than we thought, so we decided to go ahead and get started. We would be taking off from Samphire Hoe, a stony beach south from  Dover Harbor. Samphire Hoe is named as such, because Samphire is a sea plant found in the area, and Hoe is a word used to describe stones and such that is the result from digging up/blowing up an area to make way for something.

About 5 minutes away, the crew member, Andy, told me it was time to start getting ready. I had already put on my suit, and as I took my shorts and t-shirt off, I shivered from the chilly sea breeze. I went ahead and put on my swim cap to keep my head warm, and began slathering clumps of vaseline under my arms, in my groin area, and in between my shoulders and neck where the straps rub. Chafing is a problem after swimming for long hours in a pool, but it is made incredibly worse in salt water when sand and salt are involved. I didn't bother to put on any sunscreen because I was starting so late in the afternoon, and I already had a good tan base so I wasn't too worried about getting burnt. Many Channel swimmers who do it the traditional way and without a wetsuit, use a body grease of sheeps fat and petroleum jelly. I decided not to use any, because I was very used to cold water, and being all slimy makes you feel different in the water, and the smell of the grease is awful. It also clumps up very badly in colder water and I didn't want to use something that I hadn't really used before. Best to stick with what you are used to and comfortable with. Vaseline works just fine for me!

Staring at the sea, praying and focusing on what I'm about to do.

A nice photographer that we had met earlier in the week had wanted to know if he could take some pictures of me leaving the beach, and as we were making our way to Samphire Hoe, we could see him and his wife running as fast as they could to get to the beach in time. 

When we were about 300 yards out from the beach, the Louise Jane stopped. "Alright Cheyanne!" shouted Andy King. "Let's do this!" My heart began to flutter. I couldn't believe the moment was here. Emotions of excitement and a bit of terror were pulsing through my mind and body. I licked the inside of my goggles to ensure they didn't fog up and put them on.

I sat up on the edge of the boat and pushed off. Once I hit the water, the cold made my body jolt a bit. After a few strokes and my body zinging with goosebumps, the water already felt a lot warmer. It's amazing how your body adapts so quickly when you've done enough cold water training. I began swimming into the beach and once I arrived, I began walking out of the water. The pebbles really hurt your feet and cause you to slide around a bit. The photographer and his wife were there to greet me and to see me off. I felt bad I couldn't give him a hug and chat for a bit, but I had to be careful not to touch anyone so that I was not disqualified. I turned towards the boat and made sure I was completely out of the water. I then waved both arms to the boat so that they new I was ready. When the CSA Official and boat captain were ready, they sounded the whistle to start the swim and I was off!

I began swimming at a steady clip, but the further out we got, the rougher the sea was. I was a little panicked that it was going to be this rough the whole way. Really choppy waters can really batter and exhaust a swimmer in no time, and I was nervous that it would continue and tire me out before I even hit the half way point.

At the one hour mark, we stopped for my first feeding. I kept it to around 30 seconds while I flipped onto my side and sidestroked while squirting the drink into my mouth in three big swallows. It's best to keep moving on feeds because you don't want to drift off course. Each little feeding can add up time and make or break a swim's success. 

At the 2 hour mark, some baby dolphins were spotted behind us. Unfortunately I was unable to see them since I was facing the boat, but the crew was pointing at them. At 2 hours I stopped again for a feeding. The feeding was nice and short and I just kept plugging along. I didn't even feel warmed up yet!

After two hours I began feeds every half hour. This gives your body a mini-fast so that when you do take in nutrients, it absorbs them fully. At this point, my body reacts like a machine. Five minutes after every feeding I would hiccup a little bit, then burp three times for all of the air I was swallowing from drinking my feeds so fast, then about ten minutes later, I would...well.. you know what happens after drinking lots of water! When this happened, it was actually a relief because not only does it keep you warm, but it confirms that you are staying on top of hydration, and your body isn't getting plugged up. This can happen from isotonic drinks when you've been going for a long period of time. Many swimmers will drink coffee about half way through the swim to "sort themselves out" as our boat captain would say. I sincerely hoped that wouldn't happen to me. Salt water and coffee would not taste very good together!

During the first four hours, I swallowed lots of salt water because the sea was so rough. It was a struggle to breath when so many waves kept pounding me in the face and my neck was getting sore from the waves throwing my head from side to side. As the night crept in, it calmed a little, and I was able to stretch out my stroke a bit. 

One of the massive tankers we passed when going through the shipping lanes. One came within about 100 yards of us-very scary!

At around the 6 hour mark when I had my feeding, I had to attach lights since I would be swimming through the night. One of the lights was a blinking emergency light on my goggle strap, and two glowsticks to the straps of my swim suit. It was a bit of a challenge attaching the glowsticks because I had to lift my arms behind me to tie them on, and when you've been swimming for six hours your arms don't like to bend that way! That feed took about 1.5 minutes, but I was "lit up like a Christmas Tree" as our boat captain said, and was ready to face the dark night.

When it was pitch black, all I could think about was how much I wanted it to be morning. For nearly 7 hours it felt like I was swimming in an endless abyss, not gaining any distance and not going anywhere. It is moments like this when your mental toughness means everything. 

At the 10 hour mark was when I hit "the wall". I was very surprised that I didn't hit it until then, because most swimmers hit it between the 6 and 7 hour mark. This is when the body begins converting body fat to energy because it can no longer get what it needs from feedings alone. At this point, your limbs grow weaker and you get a bit cranky. At the ten hour feeding, I asked K, "How much longer until daylight?"

K said, "About 4 and a half more hours." "What!? How long have I been in the water?" I said. "Ten hours!" shouted K. This really frustrated me because I could have sworn I had kept count for nearly 12 hours in my head. At "the wall", your mind makes you resentful and frustrated at everything. "ARE YOU SURE?!" I yelled in an accusatory tone. Then (I believe this was the Holy Spirit yelling at me) my mind was telling me, "Cheyanne, shut up and get your butt moving. You'll feel better soon. Just think-10 hours down! You are well over half way there! Daylight will come soon." So I threw my water bottle away so they could reel it in and began swimming again. 

This was the longest night of my life. Many dark and negative thoughts creep into your mind when you are broken down and cold. What if I see a shark? What if I get hypothermia? What if I just can't make it?Then, I remembered what my open water training mentor, John, told me. "Think of all of the people who wish they could be doing what you are doing but are unable. Think of those who have crossed the channel but it took them 30 hours. You just have to keep going." I also remembered the words of Gertrude Ederle, the first woman to cross the Channel. As she was crossing the Channel, her father was begging her to stop. She said, "I couldn't think of a good enough reason to stop. So I didn't." I thought to myself, "Am I dying? No. Do I feel like crap? Absolutley. Do I feel the worst I have ever felt in my life? Yes. Do I think I'm going to die? No. THEN KEEP GOING!"

Swimming in the pitch dark. 

Towards the end of the night, it began to rain. My incredible boyfriend, K, sat out on the boat deck the whole time, watching me to make sure I was okay. He was soaked and cold, but would look at me and would give a gentle smile to reassure me that everything was going well. He even started doing a goofy dance to entertain me during the early hours of the morning.

At the 11 hour mark, my throat and mouth were so sore and swollen from the salt water. Every couple of hours K would throw out a water bottle attached to my feed bottle, that contained diluted Listerine. After a couple of hours in salt water, minty mouthwash was SUCH a delight! It really helped purge my mouth of the salt and built a little protective layer of fluoride on my gums and tongue that prevented the sting of salt for about an hour. 

When hour 12 arrived, I hit a massive slump. My right arm was still strong but my left shoulder was beginning to hurt. I was actually delighted that neither shoulder had gotten sore until this late in the swim. This began to cause problems because my right arm was pulling more and I kept swimming up too close to the boat and the crew would keep signaling for me to move further out. 

At around hour 13, our boat captain, Andy, came to the side of the boat during my feeding and told me that I have to give a half hour of sprinting, otherwise I could be looking at a much longer swim. The final current in the channel was still very strong and hadn't calmed down yet, and if I didn't push through it in time, it would send us dramatically off course and I would have to swim for many more hours. Not knowing how much longer I could last, I decided I had to give it everything I had now until I knew I was in sight of land, then could calm down a bit. During this point, I began to get a little worried that my body would not last. Then I remembered all of the terrible workouts my brother Mike put me through, and how many times I've experienced that feeling and doubt before, but somehow pushed through. I began thinking of all of the stairs, all of the sprints, all of the moments where I thought I would pass out or puke from his intense training sessions and the constant feeling that I could never do anything good enough. He would never tell me "good job" and would never say "keep up the good work" because he wanted to completely break me down. It was my job to build myself back up in my mind to a point where I could take it and that I was not there to please him, but I had to do everything I could think of to prepare and succeed until I was done. Until I touched France, no "good job" or "keep up the good work" would ever be spoken.

As I began rotating my arms faster and pulling harder, I began to get my third wind. Everything in my body was screaming at me and telling me I could not do it. But I kept repeating the rosary in my mind and it really helped to calm me down. I kept thinking to myself, "You can do this. You ARE doing this! You are going to make it! Remember what you promised yourself-I will not stop until I walk out onto France!"

The sky began to lighten and daylight began to arrive. I don't think I have ever been so happy to see the morning! It was over cast and chilly, but I didn't care! 

At around hour 14, during my feeding, I did something really stupid and looked towards France, hoping that we could at least see it. THERE IT WAS! And it was SO CLOSE!! "OH MY GOD!!" I yelled in surprise and relief. We were still a ways out and a tide still could have pulled us away, so the game was not over yet. I zipped through my feeding and got back to swimming. Seeing France gave me such a mental boost and I began swimming harder than I had ever swam before!

Almost there!

At the 14 and a half mark, during my feeding the boat crew got the dingy all set up. This is a great sign, because it means we are getting close to land. They send in a dingy to retrieve the swimmer since it is too shallow for the Louise Jane to go in. When this happened, I smiled the biggest smile ever and yelled to Andy, "So, is this a done deal, Andy?" With his hilarious sense of humor he shot back, "If you pull your finger out of your a$% it is!" And he gave me a huge smile back. It was then that I knew I was going to make it!

We were getting closer and closer. I tried as hard as I could to keep my head down and keep pushing forward. It seemed like that last gap of distance would never close! We were heading towards the little town of Sangatte, France. As we grew closer, my eyes began to tear up. I began thinking of all of the people that brought me here and I was thinking of all of those people I was doing this swim for. I thought of my Grandpa N. who fought cancer for 10 years before passing, whom I had prayed for a lot during the swim, and my high school swim coach's sister, who had also died from cancer. I thought of everyone I had met or heard about while raising funds for Holden and I was so thankful that God brought me through this difficult task so that I could honor their legacies and raise money for cancer research. 

At hour 15 I had my last feeding. The entire crew was smiling. I almost wanted to completely skip my feeding and just keep going, but I knew that would be really stupid to deny my body the nutrients it needed now more than ever. I sucked it all down very fast and pounded the water. We were getting closer and closer. I still felt like I would never get there. Then, my dream became a reality.

The feeling I had longed for for so long finally happened. My fingers glided through soft sand. My heart lept and I stood up and lifted my hands! Andy, on the dingy, yelled, "Keep swimming! You're almost there!" It was now too shallow to swim, so I began crawling onto shore. The sand turned into sharp rocks and sea shells, and my knees and hands were quickly cut up and bruised but I couldn't feel any of it! 

As I lifted my head to look forward, the most beautiful site was right in front of me. A quaint little medieval chapel with a cross at the top was sitting on the coast so I could look at it as I headed in. It was like God was on the shore of France to help me out of the water! I began grabbing a couple of pebbles to put in my suit to remember this moment. 

There was a French couple walking a long the beach taking pictures of me. Their faces were full of welcome, joy, and concern, and in French it sounded like they were asking me if I was ok since I was unable to stand. "Bonjour!" I exclaimed with a huge smile. I also gestured for them to stay away, because if they touched me, I would be disqualified. Once I gained some balance, I slowly walked towards Andy and the dingy. My legs were like jello since I had been swimming horizontally for the past 15 hours and 39 minutes. When I reached the dingy, a wave came up and knocked me over. It wasn't even that large of a wave but my legs had no more strength so it easily over came me. I threw myself into the dingy and Andy turned the boat around and we headed back to the Louise Jane. As we began heading back, the wife of the French couple ran up to us and handed me a stone from the shore. It was a large white stone and she had the most beautiful smile as she gave it to me. So amazing!

When we arrived back at the Louise Jane, my arms were so dead I couldn't even pull myself up the ladder. My boat pilot, Andy King, reached under my arms and lifted me as I climbed the ladder. Thank goodness he is strong or I have no idea how I would have gotten back into the boat! Once on board, K threw a towel around me and I just sat there, in awe of what we had just done! I couldn't believe it! I was now a fully ratified Channel swimmer! AHHHHHHHHH!!!

Andy helping me onto the boat.

I began drying myself off as best I could and with K's help was able to take my suit off and throw on dry clothes. Now that I was no longer moving, I was getting very stiff and cold, very fast. I threw on some sweat pants, fuzzy socks, and my lucky high school swim team sweatshirt. I threw on a sleeping bag and laid down, while the crew prepared hot tea with honey to help my sore throat and mouth. Suddenly, I felt very, very sick. The lurching of the boat compiled with all of the salt water and carb drinks, I knew I was going to be sick. One of the crew said if I was going to be sick, just do it on the deck. It could easily be rinsed off. So, I stuck my finger down my throat to get it over with. It was weird because most of what came up was green with bits of sea weed. It was very odd, but I instantly felt better.

So happy!!

Exhausted and all bundled up for the ride back.

Immediately after, Andy brought me some tea. Oh. My. Gosh. Holding that warm mug of tea in my hands was like holding a million dollars. YUM! K held me up while I drank and when I was finished I laid my head in his lap and fell asleep as the boat made it's way back to Dover. When I awoke, I was in terrible pain and shivering from the cold. I couldn't move and felt awful. By the time we arrived back at the harbor, I could move around a bit. We packed up all of our stuff and called a cab to take us back to the place we were staying. I couldn't believe we were back in Dover already! It all happened so fast and here I was, arriving back in Dover as a Channel swimmer. It was all so surreal! 

I got some great big hugs and kisses from Andy and our boat pilot, Andy King, and we talked for a bit before we left. They were the best boat crew anyone could ever ask for. They were always cheering me on and looking out for me and when you invest so much in a boat pilot, that means the world! 

Best boat crew ever: Pilot Andy King (L) and Andy (R)

When we arrived back to our housing, I took the longest hot shower ever. I drank tons of water and ate a bit of food, and slept for a while. For the rest of the day I was very stiff and sore, but having swam the Channel I was too excited to really care! 

Later that evening, our good friend, Stevie, who is currently living in England while in the airforce, came down to Dover to help us celebrate at The White Horse Pub. It is tradition for all successful Channel swimmers to write their name on the wall and have their first pint. When I walked up to the bar to get a marker to write on the wall and told the bartender, he laughed and said, "Prove it!" Then I said, "Well, I have pictures I could show you?" Then, to my surprise, he asked, "Are you Cheyanne?" "Yes," I said with a suspicious smile. "This card was left for you," he said.

The White Horse Pub

Signing My Name!

Hawkeyes Represent!

It was a really nice card from a gentleman in England who had heard about my swim. A while back he had offered to buy me my first pint upon my successful swim, and here I was, reading a card from him which contained money to buy my first pint! How sweet! One of the many cool things about swimming the Channel is that you meet many incredible people a long the way.

After receiving the card, the bartender laughed and handed me the permanent marker. "I believe you." Then, a woman bartender started clapping for me and said, "Congratulations to the Channel swimmer!" and the whole bar erupted in applause. It was such a neat moment. I began looking for a space to write my name and could not seem to find one. Ironically, one of the only spaces available was on the ceiling near the signature of John Heineman, a young man from Iowa who had crossed the Channel in 2007. "GO HAWKEYES!" I thought with a smile and began to sign my name. My arms were so tired and sore that every couple of letters I had to bring my arms back down and rest them before continuing. K and Stevie kept giggling at me because it was taking me forever to write!

Then, I proudly walked up to the bar and ordered a beer. After giving up alcohol for a year because of training, you can imagine my excitement as I took my first sip! YUM! We then ate dinner and I ordered a huge steak and we visited for a while. What a perfect end to such an adventure!

K and me-my first pint!

Before I end this post, I have so many people I want to thank. So without further ado.....

Thank you to:

My brother Michael, who believed in me from the very beginning. Who gifted me the money for the pilot vessel and tore me down and built me back up to be the strongest, both physically and mentally, that I have ever been. Without him, none of this would have been possible.

To Wendell N., my grandfather, who passed away after fighting cancer for 10 years. Thank you for showing me how to treat life as a gift and something that should not be taken for granted. Thank you for teaching me what it means to fight. I miss you!

To K, the incredible man in my life, who has stuck by my side as I trained for the swim. Thank you for allowing me to put time for us on hold so that I could focus on training and for being so supportive and helpful through all of the tough times. And most of all, for taking such good care of me during and after the swim.

To my family, friends, and loved ones who believed in me and who have been so supportive and gracious during these past two years while preparing for the swim. Your generosity is what got me here, and your prayers carried me through. I love you all so much!

To Dr. Goodheart at the Holden Comprehensive Cancer Center and all of the cancer researchers. I had no idea that an undergraduate student clerk job in the Ob/Gyn Oncology unit and helping you on a cancer research project would change my life in such a profound way! Your determination and passion for finding a cure for cancer played a major role in inspiring me to travel this journey. Thank you so much for all of your help in the success of Crossing for a Cure!

To my amazing boat crew of Andy King, Andy, and CSA Official Steve Franks-There is no crew of people that I would rather have had and trusted to be by my side as I swam through one of the most dangerous bodies of water in the world. You were all so supportive and wonderful to have beside me and I cannot thank you enough for helping me to accomplish my dream!

To John M. of Open Water Source in Chicago-your friendship and mentor-ship in open water swimming played a major role in my success! Without your knowledge of the sport and help in training me for tough conditions and cold water, this swim would have been impossible. It has been such a blessing that you took me under your wing and took the time to help train me in Lake Michigan and were always there when I had doubts or questions about the swim. I will be forever grateful!

To Sue O., my long-time swim coach-It is because of you I fell in love with swimming and the discipline it takes to be fearless in the water. You also taught me how to be a strong and confident woman, both in and out of the pool. Your mentor-ship and friendship throughout the years has played a huge role in who I am today and many times during my swim I imagined you walking along side me like I was swimming the 500 at a meet, you walking along the side of the pool and yelling at me to "DIG! DIG! DIG!" 

To Mike H., who taught me how to swim and that "in order to do something you've never done before, you have to do something you've never done before." In other words.....WORK YOUR A$% OFF!

To Tori at The U of I Foundation, for helping me start the Crossing for a Cure campaign. Without your direction and assistance, we would not have been nearly as successful!

To Darlene, my chiropractor and nutritionist who kept me healthy and injury free during my intense training regimen. Without all of your knowledge and care, I would not have been able to stay as strong and healthy to do this!

To Susan S., for volunteering so much of your time to be a mentor and friend during this journey. Your skill and wisdom in the world of development has taught me so much and your friendship has been such a blessing!

To Scott Sanborn, Stuart C., and all of the media who helped us spread our story so that we could raise awareness and funds for our cause!

To Eric McDowell and staff at Chef's Table, who helped us host the most incredible cultivation dinner to raise funds for our cancer fund. It was a night I will always remember and am so grateful to you all for believing in me and supporting my cause!

To Performance Health and Fitness of Coralville, who graciously provided my gym membership for the past year so that I could train with my brother while preparing for the swim. Without your support, I would not have been able to prepare so well for the swim. All of your staff were so supportive and helpful and I am forever grateful to you all!

To all of my kayaker volunteers who braved hot weather, storms, drunk boaters, and very early mornings to kayak beside me for hours and hours in a huge disgusting lake so that I could get enough training in. I could not have built up my endurance without you!

To all of our donors for your support and generosity. This would not have been possible without you-this victory belongs to all of us-not just me!

To all of our loved ones who have fought cancer. Without your inspiration, I would not have been able to put in all of the hard work necessary to achieve this swim. Your legacy lives on through Crossing for a Cure and I hope that one day, our cancer fund will find a cure so that no one will have to suffer from cancer ever again. 

And last but certainly not least, to my Father God, who has blessed me with the body, the strength, and the opportunity to do this. I am so humbled by the gifts He has given me, and through this journey, He has tought me so much more than I could have possibly imagined. All I had to do was swim!