Tory Thorpe English Channel solo swimmer 12 hours 14 minutes and ten seconds

PHOTO UPDATE Tory Thorpe English Channel solo swimmer
Wed, 22 Aug 2012, The English Channel

Congratulations to Tory Thorpe who swam the English Channel on Monday 13 August from Dover to France in a time of 12 hours, 14 minutes and ten seconds. Tory has also used the swim to help raise money for defeating Alzheimer's disease.
 
Tory's swim started at 07:33 from Shakespeare Beach, Dover and she completed her swim successfully this evening. Tory was accompanied by support vessel Pace Arrow (and Pilot Paul and his team). On board, Team Tory were a group of fellow swimmers from the Serpentine swimming club. They sent regular updates via Twitter (@Tory_Thorpe) and Facebook.
 
Many thanks to the many of you who have sent messages of good luck and congratulations. Finally, it is all for a good cause. If you would like to donate, please do so using this link: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/toryswimstofrance

Pasted below the Tweets for Tory's swim

15 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Thank you to everyone who sent many messages of support for my English Channel Swim. Truly overwhelmed by your messages!
14 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  @Dono82 well done fellow channel swimmer! :-)
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Photo of hero denied. I'm done. Bye
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  12 hrs 14 mins 10 seconds. LEGEND
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Last tweet for a while now. When back with an extra Channel swimmer I'll tweet again. Exciting times. VERY!!!!
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  500m
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  800-900m
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  We'll go in with her to the finish soon. Anticipate a break in tweeting. I'll tweet just before getting in
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  £20 photo of swimmer, crew and France for Mr Tullio. Thank you pic.twitter.com/ath8Gy9y
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Nobody's tweeted that they've coughed up £20 for that photo! Hurry up! http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=toryswimstofrance …
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Still teary, but swimming well
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  More tears at 11.5 hour feed
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Tide has turned. Zero slack tide! Now heading, slowly for now, back up towards Cap Blanc Nez and Calais beyond it.
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Someone pledge her £20 and I'll tweet a photo of their choice! No there's an offer! http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=toryswimstofrance …
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Coffee for all the crew now. Umpa Lumpa munching on chocolate (as Umpa Lumpas do) and a sandwich
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Another quick feed. Good girl. A bit teary poor girl. She's amazing. Please give to her amazing charity: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=toryswimstofrance …
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Still slightly on ebb tide, ie down towards Cap Gris Nez. Then slack tide, and then praying we don't go back up Channel past Cap Blanc Nez
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  A very good (quick) feed from Tori. She is finding this really tough, and not a happy bunny. Just needs to keep swimming. Umpa out safely
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Nice bit of maxim mixing done. Smaller volume, same amount of maxim. No food this feed either. Need a quick feed. 1 hour of ebb tide left
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Cups of tea all round for the crew. Andy finishing off the horse salami aided by Mark. All is good
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  61 spm. Slow feed. 2 mins 5 seconds! Not great! Will give no food and stronger maxim in slightly less volume
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  She's going to make it, it's just when. Almost ten hours of swimming done now. Impressive. Impressive enough to donate? http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=toryswimstofrance …
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Crowd getting a tad restless. Trying to entertain themselves. Bit of stopping from Tori, often to wee
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  We're all having a lot of fun throwing stuff at Umpa Lumpa! She's loving it too!!
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  She now has an Umpa Lumpa in the water with her. Ray cooking up pot noodles for himself, Paul and Loretta
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  In the French Inshore zone. 57 spm. Should get to land from here in 2.5-3 hrs at this speed
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Not finding it easy. A slow feed. No food, just tea + maxim. She's getting frustratedd, as she can see Cap Blanc Nez not getting closer!
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Half mile (nm) to the French inshore
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  60spm. Tea + 400mg ibuprofen done. Told not to look up so often. Finding it hard! Cough up boys and girls: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=toryswimstofrance …
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Tori's not doing this for fun! It's for a serious charitable push! She's having to dig deep, so can you do likewise: http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/fundraiser-web/fundraiser/showFundraiserProfilePage.action?userUrl=toryswimstofrance …
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Nick firmly in the lead with wee wee counts. We're bored of counting as it's clear Nick will win!!
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  They're Ginger Nuts!!!! Ho ho I'm funny!
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  8 hrs 13 mins in. She keeps looking up. Naughty Tori. Boys survived the Pot Noodle experience. Ginger biscuits for our ginger Neil.
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Deeley wakes up to feed and wee. He'll be back to sleep soon. Tori now at 57spm. Tiring and finding it tough. To be expected @ 8 hrs in
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Good feed. Maxim + 3 jelly babies. Mark and Neil on Pot Noodles!!!
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  @JenRicicle that's what he got! Good boy Furry!
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  The uber-dangerous job of filling up the thermos with a boiling kettle on a rocking boat completed without any burns!
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Deeley is snoring! On his blow up mattress in his sleeping bag! Crucial team player at this moment in time!
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Half way through the NE lane (second shipping lane). Going really well.Umpa Lumpa eating strawberry shoelaces. Mark drinking tea.Andy asleep
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Leanne has a wetsuit with her! Does anyone think this is right!! NO! We are going to hide it!
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  7hr mark passed. Celebrated with maxim + banana for Tori, and horse salami for Mark's half hour feed
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Tori and Mark pic.twitter.com/XfrdLxwg
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Two heroes in the water now. Tori going strong. Enjoying the lee side of the boat, out of the SW wind pic.twitter.com/5AHmRrbE
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Deeley asleep. Furry getting cold. Neil stretching. Umpa Lumpa eating. Leanne pottering. Nick tweeting. We're all happy with our roles
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Good feed. Tea + maxim. In bottle so she can't be naughty and pour it down her face! 4 jelly babies. Mark now in there with her
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Good feed. Yummy maxim and half a banana. Half way through separation zone. All is good. Mark FW going in at next feed
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Entering Separation Zone. Some really useless info for you: Our position: 51'03.836"N 001'33.491
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  @krittermac Battery crap, but main problem is that it won't join any French networks! Am now on my BlackBerry
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Official observer, Loretta, has the stroke rate at 61
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  The Muppets say her stroke rate is now 59
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  @JenRicicle Iphone dead and won't connect to French network! Not going to send photos and be raped by O2 for roaming charges!
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Tweedle Dum and Tweedle Dee (Andy and Mark) struggling to accurately take her stroke rate. Mark counting, Andy timing. Completely inept!
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  On white board that is. Then showing Tori.
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Chocolate Swiss roll refused, so Andy ate it. Slightly longer feed, maybe 30 seconds. Andy and Mark enjoying drawing naughty stuff on board!
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  1 nm = 2000 yards = 1.81 km. Separation Zone is the 1nm wide bit ships avoid, analogous to the central reservation on a motorway
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Neil, Leanne and Umpa Lumpa asleep. About half a mile (nautical mile) from Separation Zone
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Excellent feed @ 5 hrs of maxim and 4, yes 4, jelly babies.Was not picky about colours of them! Wanted to know if we were in Separation Zone
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Leanne eats Coronation Chicken sandwich. She rates it highly
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  @donalbuckley you're amazing Buckley. Good guess. More factual from me I'm afraid! Her iphone wouldn't get a French signal and battery low!
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Umpa Lumpa (aka Sakura) off to bed for some well-earned rest
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Tori has requested some company soon. Will chuck someone in later. SW wind stiffening slightly F3-ish now
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Follow us on this link: http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0yeHQ0bluLFqyTf932J6W1nRCQHB5nCif …
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Tea and ibruprofen requested for this coming feed. Excitement has got to Neil....he's asleep
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Mark has cracked open the horse salami. Yum yum
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Now on the blackberry tweeting away. Boys r talking about getting the horse salami out!
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Sorry for the lack of tweets. No connection this far out. swimmer still strong, sakura has found the chocolate and sarnies being enjoyed!
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Nick wakes up and the first thing he does..... Thank goodness it wasn't on our swimmer! pic.twitter.com/pKJaa8r0
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Two jelly babies washed down with a cup of maxim. Three hours done and the sun is shining. What more could a swimmer want!?
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Tory-2hours of swimming, nick-2hours of sleeping, Andy-2hours of eating. Wee stakes: mark, nick 1; Sakura, Leanne, deeley, Neil 0
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  The sun's coming out as have Neil's knees! It's sunscreen time for the crew! pic.twitter.com/FcNGiMxE
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  2.5 hours in. Full cup of tea with fruit sugar and some maxim. Gulped it down and kept swimming! :) pic.twitter.com/yFqvk0GB
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Not liking her maxim so has asked for tea! Just don't tell her we've put some maxim in it! 1/4 banana eaten too! Yummy meal@2 hrs.
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  One of the most active energetic members of the support team! Please note- the girls are all still awake! pic.twitter.com/u90uKcDy
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  2nd feed in. Complaints that the maxims too strong. Crew has taken note. We will dilute it a little teeny bit more next time.
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  The swimmer stopped kicking for a little bit. We think she was having a wee wee :) all happy now :)
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Another crewman down. Boys have had brekkie and lunch. Tory has nearly swum into a Cuttlefish and a plastic bag. Nearly 2nd feed time
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  First feed into our swimmer. Nice and quick. no words from our swimmer, just a glance back t Dover. Just keep swimming! pic.twitter.com/uQAs5NLS
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  The first feed will be at the one hour mark, then switch to 30min feeds. A happy swimming tori. Happy caffeinated crew :)
13 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  A Tory and some white cliffs. Left right technique. One crewman gone to bed. The rest squirrelling for food! pic.twitter.com/5fxw3FY0
12 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  7:37am kick off. Crew: Sakura, Deeley, Leanne, Neil, Mark FW and Nick. Observer Loretta, herself a Channel swimmer. Pilot Paul. Crew Ray.
12 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  The nerves, the anxiety and the first few strokes! We're off! pic.twitter.com/boafwHJA
12 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Here she goes! Our ultimate hero! pic.twitter.com/jarDGdDp
12 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  The ritual of greasing. Lucky Tory has Leanne to administer the Vaseline. The boys were NOT allowed the honour. pic.twitter.com/FP0W61Zs
12 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Our athlete. Olympics? What Olympics? It's all about our channel swimmer now! pic.twitter.com/t4Drzwhv
12 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  Off out of the harbour pic.twitter.com/4cS1YOsT
12 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  We're leaving the Marina. An excited support team and a slightly nervous Tory. The wethers beautiful, Sun is shining. It's swim time!
12 AugTory Thorpe ?@Tory_Thorpe  English Channel swim starting at 0730-0800 Monday 13 August. Track my swim here http://share.findmespot.com/shared/faces/viewspots.jsp?glId=0yeHQ0bluLFqyTf932J6W1nRCQHB5nCif …

 

PHOTO UPDATE Tory Thorpe English Channel solo swimmer gallery