Copywriting - Local copywriter swims round Jersey for charity

Nicola Joyce, local copywriter and journalist, has swum the 41 miles around Jersey unassisted to raise funds for the Bracknell, Wokingham, Ascot & Districts branch of Samaritans. The swim took her 12 hours to complete.

Lexicon's Nicola has already swum the English Channel both as a solo swim and as part of a two-way relay. The Jersey swim, like a Channel swim, is swum under open water swimming rules: swimmers can not wear a wetsuit or any other aid, just a swimsuit, cap and goggles. As part of her training for the Jersey swim, Nicola swam the length of Windermere in the Lake District (10.5 miles) on 30th July.

Nicola travelled to Jersey in August to attempt the swim but bad weather meant that the attempt had to be aborted twice, once at five hours in. The crew of the pilot boat which accompanied her felt that conditions had become too dangerous due to high winds.

Nicola returned to Jersey on Friday 14th September as tidal conditions and weather reports were both favourable. However on Friday she was ill, having contracted a bug which her husband had suffered from earlier in the week.

“I was sick on Friday morning and then felt faint on the way to Gatwick”, said Nicola, “but my flights were non-refundable so I had nothing to lose by going, and I thought that if I did get better I would regret not having tried. This is the end of the swimming season so it was likely to be my last attempt at the swim, and I was desperate to get it done, especially after the last attempt had to be aborted.”

At 0649 on Saturday 15th September, Nicola set off from Elizabeth Castle breakwater, accompanied by a kayaker who would guide her through the rocky areas between Green Island and La Rocque, and a larger pilot boat who would guide her round the island and from which she would receive hot energy drinks.

“I felt very cold from about one hour into the swim”, said Nicola, “which worried me a lot as I am acclimatised to cold water and shouldn’t find 18*C water in the slightest bit cold. I think in hindsight I was either still ill or certainly feeling the effects of having been ill less than 24 hours before. After about seven hours the sun came out from behind thick clouds and I warmed up. That and a good dose of mind-over-matter helped me to carry on!”

Nicola finished in exactly 12 hours, touching the other side of the Elizabeth Castle breakwater wall just before sunset at 1849. Hers was the 57th round-Jersey swim and she is the 51st person/30th woman to complete the swim.

She drummed up support from several businesses including High Five sports nutrition and online swim shop Mailsports who sent her kit and sports nutrition. The swim was officiated by the Jersey Long Distance Swimming Club.

Nicola is using the swim to raise funds for the local branch of Samaritans, located in Bracknell. Samaritans offer confidential emotional support to anybody in distress or despair. The centre at Hope Cottage, Mount Pleasant, needs over £22,000 per year to stay open and Samaritans rely wholly on donations. 100% of funds raised will go to the charity: Nicola funded the swim and associated costs herself.

To sponsor Nicola, send your donation (cheques should be made out to Bracknell Samaritans) to “Jersey Swim, Bracknell Samaritans, Hope Cottage, 2 Mount Pleasant, Bracknell, RG12 9AD”.

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[ "Jersey Royal"
Nicola wrote this account of her Jersey swim, and a guide to open water swimming in Jersey, for "Swimming" magazine. ]

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