Nicola completes Jersey to France relay swim and donates £10,000 to Moya Cole Hospice
It took Nicola and her team 7 and a half hours to swim the distance to France
Nicola Done-Orrell swam from Jersey to France as part of a relay team and made a £10,000 donation to Moya Cole Hospice following the challenge.
Nicola is a volunteer at the hospice and is an avid open water swimmer. She has swum in relay races around the island of Jersey and across the English Channel. She has also conducted solo swims of Lake Windermere, Coniston, and Ullswater, all in the Lake District.
“I was originally meant to solo swim from Jersey to France,” Nicola said. “I trained for 56 weeks, and we had to cancel the week I was meant to do it due to weather conditions.
“That was last year. This year I decided to do it as part of a relay team.”
Nicola and her team set off from the coast of Jersey at 4.30am on July 7th. She began the relay, jumping off the boat in the darkness, which she described as a “terrifying” experience.
It took us 7 hours and 30 mins to get to France. We rotated every hour. It was an absolutely perfect day. Flat calm waters, and we had dolphins swimming with us for an hour. They were circling the boat and just playing
“It was also poignant as the swim took place on the anniversary of my mum’s death. I felt like she was with me all the way,” Nicola said.
When she wasn’t swimming, Nicola was on board the safety boat.
“The moment we got to France was so lovely. There were 15 people on the beach, all locals, standing there clapping for us as we swam in. It was quite emotional.”
Nicola is entered in an open water swimming competition in Barbados in November. It’ll be her next big outing.
As part of Nicola’s challenge, she also donated £10,000 to the hospice.
I did it because I love the hospice. I've volunteered here for 12 years. I only ever raise money for the hospice. It's where my heart is. It's such a fantastic place and you never know when you or your family might need it
“I’m hands on in there. I get to see the good they do. I see how fantastic the staff are and the service they give. I help out with the drinks trolley, help out with serving lunches, and organise afternoon teas,“ Nicola said.