Radiographer to tackle cross-Channel swim
Alaine Berry training with some of her team members.
On August 26, 2016, research radiographer Alaine Barry from the Robert Steiner Unit at Hammersmith Hospital, London, will be swimming the English Channel as part of a team of six to raise money for the spinal cord injury charity Aspire. Team Barracuda will be swimming as a relay with each swimmer taking it in turns to swim an hour at a time.
Alaine said: “The swim is quite brutal, as well as dealing with the cold – we’re not allowed to wear wetsuits – there’s the traffic, the rubbish, the jellyfish, the salt burns and the seasickness. And part of the swim will be in the dark. Our exact route will be determined by the tides, currents and traffic flow through the world’s busiest shipping lane. Training so far has involved swimming outdoors in cold water, sometimes as low as 6.8°C, and putting in lots of miles in the pool.”
Aspire provides grants, equipment and accommodation to people who have suffered a spinal injury so they may recover some independence in their day to day life. To sponsor Alaine please visit: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/AlaineandMarc
See this report on page 24 of the July 2016 issue of RAD Magazine.
