Fundraising swim of the English Channel for Young Minds Matter
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00:00My name is Angus McChesney and I'm the coach of the Young Minds Matter Channel Swim 2024.
00:14I'm delighted to be back coaching two more teams after the success of 2022. This group
00:19of youngsters are all accomplished swimmers and they train regularly and compete with
00:24clubs in Coventry and Stratford-upon-Avon. However, taking on the challenge of swimming
00:29the channel is a different form of swimming altogether. So in preparation for swimming
00:35the channel the first step was to visit an open water swimming lake where over the course
00:38of a few weeks the swimmers got used to the cold water and not being able to see down
00:43to the usual lane markings on the bottom of the pool. The next stage was to get used to
00:47the sea. Our training day took the team out by boat near the Isle of Wight to swim in
00:53challenging conditions with a strong wind and choppy waves. The water temperature in
00:57May was a chilly 14 degrees Celsius so it made for a pretty tough day. But they managed
01:03that challenge admirably so when it comes to taking on the 20 miles across the channel
01:07itself in July with the water a little warmer and with the benefit of a sunny still day
01:13they should be very well prepared and I'm confident that they will conquer this swim.
01:17Hi I'm Ben, I'm doing the channel swim for Young Minds Matter and I'm doing it because
01:23I think the charity supports a really great cause and they're doing really inspirational
01:27things for people with mental health problems. Hi my name is Lily, I'm doing the channel
01:34swim for Young Minds Matter. The reason I'm doing it is because it's an inspirational
01:39thing to do and it supports people's mental health. I'm Sue Roberts, the founder of Young
01:47Minds Matter. It was great to be out at sea today on a training session with eight amazing
01:52teenagers from Warwickshire who will be swimming the channel for Young Minds Matter in July
01:57this year. It wasn't ideal conditions by any means, the water was choppy, there was
02:02a strong wind and it was cold, especially for them swimming without wetsuits as they're
02:06not allowed to wear wetsuits on a channel swim. These young people have given up a lot
02:11of time to train for this swim as well as being in the middle of GCSE and A level exams
02:16right now. But what I have learnt from seeing them at lake and sea training sessions is
02:21that this group are made of tough stuff. They're resilient and they're determined and put simply
02:27they are raising funds to help support the mental health of fellow young people and for
02:32that we're enormously proud and grateful. If you are able to donate anything to support
02:37this swim, the JustGiving link is here or if you are able to sponsor or match fund this
02:42amazing group of inspirational teenagers then we'd love to hear from you. Thank you so much.
02:48Finally, good luck to our fantastic swimmers Ben, Brian, Bridie, Hayden, Lily, Molly, Niamh and Theo.