Saturday Magazine - 24.08.2019

By numbers

CROSSING THE CHANNEL:

Rather them than us...

A

s far as celeb challenges go, it’s

the only one that recommends

you rub yourself with goose fat

and put on extra weight.

A group of famous non-swimmers

and toe dippers will be trained by the professionals to swim

the English Channel, the ultimate endurance race. It’s to

shine a spotlight on the sport, with one in five British

adults being unable to swim, and one in three

children leaving school without learning the

skill. It will also help raise vital funds

for Stand Up To Cancer.

DISTANCE: Although

Dover to Cap Gris-Nez

is only 20 miles (around

1,352 lengths of a 25m

swimming pool), the pull

of the tides can make

it much longer. The

longest was swum

by Jackie Cobell, who

did some 65 miles.

TEMP: During the swim

season, the English

Channel is 14-18C.

CHALLENGES:

Jellyfish, seaweed,

waves in excess of 2m,

and getting food from a

feeding pole, as your

helper can’t make direct

contact with you.

SINK OR SWIM

Tue 9.30pm C

NEW

11 YEARS AND 336 DAYS OLD: The age of

Tom Gregory, when he became the youngest

person to swim the English Channel in 1988.

7 HOURS: The fastest

swim. 27 HOURS:

The slowest.

43: Is the record for

most crossings by

Briton Alison Streeter.

SAIR

KHAN

GREG

RUTHERFORD

JAMES ‘ARG’

ARGENT

TV FEATURE

15 SATURDAY MAGAZINE

The celebs

taking part

Olympic medallists

Linford Christie,

Tessa Sanderson

and Greg Rutherford

Coronation

Street star

Sair Khan

The Last Leg’s

Alex Brooker

TOWIE stars

James ‘Arg’ Argent

and Georgia

Kousoulou

Blue singer

Simon Webbe

Love Island’s

Wes Nelson

Hollyoaks actress

Rachel Adedeji

and TV presenter

Diane Louise

Jordan

Stars face their fears for cancer charity

Channel challenge