A lovely evening to stumble upon a small crowd gathering to see David Walliams swimming through Reading on his charity swim of the length of the Thames. All the best to him for undertaking a rather impressive feat, and all in a good cause!
David Walliams in the Thames, approaching Caversham Lock.
However, it’s a pity that it’s being portrayed as a dangerous, daring stunt by the media and even Sport Relief, which aims to encourage physical exercise of all sorts as well as the more serious business of raising money to help the disadvantaged. Before he even started the papers couldn’t wait to describe his coming swim as a battle against a fetid, freezing river with an undertow which could suck you under in an instant. The glee in some pieces describing how he has been slightly delayed by a stomach bug is palpable. Most people who swim in the river never get ill – after all, there’s a world of difference between a 30 minute dip and spending 8 hours a day in hard exercise. As for it being his “most dangerous challenge yet”… he swam the channel, which is full of heavy shipping, strong currents, potentially huge waves, jellyfish, sharks and hugely more sewage than the Thames – whilst the worst that you’ll get on most of the Thames is an irate swan. The tidal Thames is indeed hazardous – as a cursory glance will tell you – but for most of its length it’s ideal for a relaxed swim – perhaps just far enough to say you’ve swam a bitof the Thames…
No swimming signs abound in Reading's Thames Parks.
The good folk over at RALSA are getting similarly hot under the collar about this. It did occur to me – too late of course – that this event would have been a great opportunity to change the image of river swimming, either by simple propaganda or an impromptu dip. All the best to David – enjoy the rest of the swim if that’s possible!
