How One Swimmer Returned to Lead Two Life‑Saving Relay Teams
An English Channel relay swimmer who vowed ‘never again’ is back in training to take on the challenge for a second time this summer – and she’s leading two teams who will be swimming too!
Debbie Adams, from Retford in Nottinghamshire, was part of a Channel relay team in 2024, swimming from Dover to Calais and fundraising for drowning prevention charity SwimTayka.
Although Debbie and her six-strong team completed the crossing in a remarkable 14 hours 5 minutes, taking turns to swim an hour at a time, Debbie decided once was enough.
But when her friend was looking for a challenge, Debbie found herself suggesting a Channel swim and pledged to take part.
“I said I would never do it again, then my friend Sarah said she’d love to do a challenge, and I found myself saying ‘how about a Channel swim’!” said Debbie, who used to run a swim school and is now a children’s yoga teacher and tutor.
“We have now got two teams together and I am swimming with one of them. I am mentoring and supporting both teams.”
The team members are located around the country, and all will be raising funds for SwimTayka, a UK-based charity which teaches children in waterside communities how to swim and stay safe. They operate in countries like Vietnam and Bali, providing free lessons to children who have little or no access to swimming instruction.
Debbie is also project managing a new UK programme for SwimTayka, to fund swimming tuition for children in the UK, who haven’t been able to access lessons.
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