Article written by Peak Performance Multisport 

Pat Gallant-Charette, of Westbrook, Maine will attempt to swim the English Channel between July 13th and July 20th of 2009.  She made a “heartbreaking” attempt last summer, when her boat pilot, with the agreement of her crew - her son and three of her brothers – decided that she needed to end her swim within 1.7 miles of France.  She could see the shore. Pat had swam for 4 hours, though, without making any headway. Towards the end of her swim, when she stopped to take a drink, she lost hundreds of yards of progress. For safety in English Channel crossings, the boat pilot has the final say on when a swimmer must stop.  Undeterred, Pat will try to cross the English Channel again this summer. 

All told, Pat swam 32 miles in last summer's attempt.  The crossing from Dover to France is 21 miles, but due to the currents pushing her off course, she swam 11 more miles.  She felt strong and confident at the end, though, climbing into the boat unassisted when she was told to stop and thinking that she could have swam back to England with her strength.

This year's attempt will allow her to use the lessons she learned from last summer and afford her the chance to work with boat pilot, Reg Brickell, who piloted the boat for the world record holder of the English Channel crossing, Lynn Cox (author of Swimming to Antarctica). 

The attempt will also allow her to potentially break the English Channel Association's record for the oldest woman to cross the Channel.  The record is held by 57 year-old Carol Sing.  Pat will be 58 this February.  Pat makes it clear that her crossing will not be a world record.  That record is held by a 61 year-old woman from Australia who swam the Channel under the English Channel Federation's guidelines (the Association and the Federation are different governing bodies).  Pat will certainly be the first grandmother from Maine to  swim across the English Channel.

Pat began marathon, cold water swimming nearly a decade ago after the tragic death of her younger brother, Rob, of heart disease at 34 years of age.  He was an avid swimmer having won the Peak's to Portland.  After his death, Pat's son decided he would swim the Peak's to Portland as a tribute to his Uncle Rob.  He challenged his mom to do it with him.  Pat responded that she did not think that she could.  Her son told her in no uncertain terms, “you could if you tried.” 

Pat met the challenge from her son. A year later, she swam the Peak's to Portland, and she continues to participate yearly in honor of her brother.  After the Peak's to Portland challenge, Pat swam across Big Sebago at its widest point. The next year she swam across Big Sebago and back.  That was a 12-mile swim.  Her next goal was and is to cross the English Channel. 

Pat's plan for the winter training months is to continue to maintain her base and, then, begin to increase her training greatly from November 1 to July 1.  She will swim for a minimum of 3 to 4 hours on her training days and work on strengthening her core and cross training.  Each week will also have a “major” swim of ever longer duration.

Her key focus is to keep her body acclimated to the cold water of the English Channel.  In 2008, her body was used to swimming in water in the mid-50's for 3 to 4 hours.  She swam at the end of November last year when the ocean water in Maine was 48 degrees.  All of Pat's cold water swimming is done without a wetsuit.  They are not allowed during English Channel crossings. So, she does not use one in her training.  Unfortunately, the water in the Channel last summer was in the mid 60's. Pat was too warm!  She asked for ice in her drinks, a first for a Channel crosser!    (Article written by Peak Performance Portland Maine  http://www.mypeakmultisport.com/)

Visit Pat Gallant Charette at her own blog

View photo's of Pat Gallant Charette in her first channel swim.