After retiring from rugby at the end of last season, one of Bath Rugby’s most likeable legends has wasted no time finding a new challenge to immerse himself in.
Dissatisfied with the simpler narrative of retirement; feet up, a coffee in town with friends, enjoying the reduced stress and a horizon of possibilities, Dave Attwood has done the most Dave Attwood thing imaginable and challenged himself to swim across the English Channel.
Approximately 22-miles long, the swim across the Channel from Dover to Calais is renowned as one of the most difficult endurance challenges to complete. For perspective, there have been fewer that 5,000 successful channel crossings by swimmers, while almost 7,000 people have ascended Mount Everest.
Attwood, along with a his Aspire Alligators swim team, will brave the ice-cold water of the Channel together, swimming in hour-long intervals in a relay until they reach Calais in France.
Speaking about his challenge, Attwood said:
“I’m no stranger to putting my face in uncomfortable places, but this is usually between the sweaty backsides of some front row forwards… The chilly waters of the English Channel will be an entirely new uncomfortable experience.”
All in the name of charity, Attwood and the entire Aspire Alligators team are dedicating their swim to raising well-needed funds for Aspire, a charity that support the lives of people with spinal injuries.
With the unpredictability of the English weather, it’s difficult to say exactly when the big day will unfold so follow Attwood on Instagram to keep updated with his progress and show your support for Aspire on his JustGiving page below.
Best of luck Dave, you’ll absolutely smash it!
