Raises $8,000 for HSP research
Victorian HSP community member Roger Simpson has taken on the notoriously difficult annual marathon swim from Perth to Rottnest Island and conquered it.
2,400 swimmers took to the water on Saturday, 21 February 2015 for the 20 km crossing in rough weather conditions. Many did not make it. However Roger battled the course successfully, finishing in the top 200 with a time of 7 and a half hours… a truly magnificent performance!
Roger has also raised $8,000 for HSP research, $2,000 short of his ambitious goal of $10,000 https://give.everydayhero.com/au/roger-s-swim-for-HSP. How about clicking on the link in recognition of his outstanding achievement and helping reach the $10,000 goal?
Read the full story about the swim.
And this from Roger…
My name is Roger Simpson and I have been an open water swimmer for many years. One of my goals was to compete and complete the Rottnest Channel Swim that takes place in February every year and starts off at Cottesloe Beach and runs across the Indian Ocean to Rottnest Island. The swim is 19.7km in distance and has many dangers associated with it. Hypothermia is the main issue with the swim but the thought of the area being the home to the greatest population of Great White Sharks seems to spook people the most.
I started at 6:05am in the morning in what was average choppy conditions. As the duration of the swim lengthened the conditions worsened to what was approximately 1-1.5 metre swells and at approximately 15km a major tide was sweeping around the island, which made it even tougher. I had a fantastic support crew of a friend in a kayak and a skipper and his friend in a boat who gave me support along the way.
The day was filled with many stories but a few to note was a boat capsizing approximately 4km off shore and a shark sighting at the 10km mark. Luckily for me I was swimming approximately around the 15km mark at the time.
One of the main contributors to for my finish and not giving up was that I was raising money for the investigation for a cure for people with HSP. I had raised just over $8,000 and there was no way I was going to let my supporters or family know that I had quit. My shoulders were in pain but I had to keep going. Many swimmers pulled out of the swim due to illness of some kind or just could not battle the conditions, which resembled swimming in a large washing machine. I crossed the line in just over 7.5 hours.
Later that night I could not even lift my arms to get a shirt off but I can be honest and say that I could get a stubby of beer or two up to my mouth.