A WEST Devon teacher is planning to swim the English Channel this summer to help maintain a high standard of swimming at his school. Twenty-six-year-old Olly White will set off from Shakespeare beach near Dover for the 22-mile effort in mid-August. ?It?s a personal thing. I have wanted to swim the Channel for many years, but I also want to use this opportunity to raise the profile of swimming generally and at school,? he says. He is hoping to raise over £3,000 by signing up sponsors. A former pupil at Tavistock College, who trained as a swimmer at Kelly College and Tavistock Swimming Club, Olly now teaches at Kentisbeare Primary School. Children at the school already do more swimming than the national curriculum demands. Olly said: ?The curriculum says they should be able to swim 25 metres by the end of key stage two by the time they are eleven years old. ?But most of our children can do at least 100 metres by that age because they swim every year from reception through to year six.? The policy of extra swimming lessons costs money ? for pool hire, instruction and transport. ?But we have put an emphasis on swimming and many of our children move on to be successful in competitions,? said Olly. ?It?s not just about winning, though. Swimming is a great sport for all-round fitness and there are safety and confidence benefits in teaching children to swim.? Olly?s gruelling effort will be the result of years of planning and training. A member of the British Long Distance Swimming Association, he competes in sea-swims around the country and last summer took part in the annual two-way Windermere swim. ?It is a 21-mile swim which is good preparation for the channel,? said Olly. Like Windermere, the channel swim will include a night section and will take a minimum of 12 hours. Olly?s back-up team will be on board a trawler whose skipper and crew specialise in channel crossings for swimmers. The trawler will stay alongside Olly ? maintaining a distance of several metres. He knows exactly what to expect, after taking part in a relay channel crossing last year. ?Swimmers rely totally on the expertise of the crew for direction, knowledge of tides and landing places. ?It?s also up to the captain to decide if sea conditions are right to start the swim and if it has to be abandoned in poor weather,? said Olly. His back-up team will include someone with medical skills, his coach and supporters. Olly, who two years ago was the Devon open water swimming champion, is currently training by swimming about 700 lengths a week. He will increase the distance month by month and will begin sea training at Easter. At this time the training distance will be stepped up to about 25 miles a week. Olly is hoping to meet the cost of the swim through sponsorship and fundraising. Any extra will go towards paying for swimming in school. Tracey Hailey, headteacher at Kentisbeare, said: ?To raise money for our school swimming programme is going to benefit a lot of youngsters. At present, everything we do beyond the demands of the curriculum is paid for out of fundraising. ?The children are all aware of what Olly is doing and they will be following his progress. It?s a real challenge for him and we all wish him well.? Any individual or organisation wishing to sponsor?s Olly?s effort can contact Kentisbeare School on 01884 266330.
