From shallow end to English Channel for Olympic star Tessa Sanderson
Twelve months ago Tessa Sanderson could only jump up and down in the shallow end of a swimming pool and was a poor swimmer.
But now the six-time Olympic javelin-thrower and heptathlete with links to Telford is bidding to take part in the ultimate open water challenge – an English Channel relay swim.
She is among a host of celebrities hoping to erase the stigma of being a non-swimmer in Channel 4 show Sink or Swim in support of Stand Up To Cancer.
The group, which includes fellow Olympic gold medallists Linford Christie and Greg Rutherford, are being trained by leading figures and professionals from the world of swimming including Walsall’s Ellie Simmonds.
Each episode of Sink or Swim, which began on Tuesday, culminates in a punishing qualification swim and the celebrities left standing at the end of the gruelling training process will attempt to cross the Channel in a relay. The shortest route to swim across it is 21 miles long, but that can change depending on the current.
Tessa, who used to live in Telford and was a sports development officer with Telford Development Corporation, has described her swimming mission as one of her “biggest challenges yet”.
Speaking about her progress during training on Twitter, the 63-year-old, who was brought up in Wolverhampton, said: “One year ago today I could only jump up and down in a swimming pool and have fun now I can gladly declare I can swim much better, even in open water.”
Speaking about their ambitious challenge, her fellow contestant and 2012 Olympic long jump champion Greg, said: “People assume because I’m an athlete that I can swim, but I can’t. Funnily enough there are three athletes doing the show – me, Tessa Sanderson and Linford Christie and none of us can swim.
“I think when you’re really into sport you end up focusing on one thing and everything else falls away.”
Other swimmers include Coronation Street star Sair Khan,The Last Leg’s Alex Brooker, Towie star James ‘Arg’ Argent, Love Island’s Wes Nelson, Hollyoaks actress Rachel Adedeji and former Blue Peter presenter Diane Louise Jordan.
Viewers for the first show saw Towie’s Georgia Kousoulou drop out in early training and several of the celebrities founder badly in the relative calm of Lake Windermere. Their coaches include Olympic silver medallist Keri-anne Payne, who said: “I’m hoping it will show that anyone can swim.
“There are still a huge number of adults in the UK that can’t swim and I’m hoping that celebs putting themselves forward and saying ‘I can’t swim, can you teach me’ will inspire a lot of other people to do the same.”
The celebrities will also be supported by adventurer Ross Edgley, best known for being the first person in history to swim around Great Britain. Viewers are urged to sponsor the swimmers to raise money for Stand Up To Cancer, a joint national fundraising campaign from Cancer Research UK and Channel 4 which has to date raised over £62 million for life-saving research.
Show producer Mel Leach says the series promises to show “a huge mental and physical transformation” in those taking part.
