It was not to be...

Dear friends and family, I woke up today, Thursday, June 6, 2024 hungry and thankful. While watching the D-Day remembrance ceremony on the BBC, I will reflect on the night's adventure. It was a tough gig last night and I am fine. Last night, the English channel gave me a workout that my body and mind could not withstand. I wish I had a success story to tell you but I do not. I knew this ATTEMPT was going to be one of my most difficult challenges, even when I thought up the Idea 💡 a year ago. And I knew the factor of COLD was going to be the most uncomfortable ordeals to encounter and possibly burst my dream, and the Cold did just that. Everything the English channel could Hit me with, IT DID. In that short 3 hours, I had to hand over the game to the channel gods and get out. Those on the Gallivant, tried many of their tricks to keep me in. As I've said before, it is Team effort, the individuals on the escort boat keep me nourished, watch over me and guide my path through the water. I know I was swimming well, but I also knew I was getting colder. My teeth began to chatter, my jaw clenching and my legs, well, just not responding to orders. Thank you to my crew Janet and Jane Murphy and thank you to our pilots, Mike Oram and Dan Earthquake and our CS&PF observer Mike Ball. You are wonderful friends and I trust my life with you all ... you all tried to get me to France. As I said in an article that was just written about this attempt, "it's a curse to know what you will be going through." I knew the Sea wasn't really going to settle down for a comfortable swim, we were tossed around last night, from the turn out of Dover Harbor as we motored out to our starting point, the beach of Samphire Hoe. I don't know what's worse, seeing the wave that's about to roll over you, in the daylight or being surprised by the crash in the darkness. I knew, as the last rays of daylight disappeared over the cliff of Samphire Hoe around 10 pm, the lights were out for at least 6 hours. I tried to play games in my head that over the Eastern horizon, the skies were brightening, but really, I knew that was the lights of Calais. Daylight was still hours away, and it would take 8 more hours for me to possibly feel the warmth from the sun. I tried to think and pray for All the WWII veterans who stormed the beaches of Normandy, France, 80 years ago. Usually my tricks work to distract my discomfort, but not last night. If we take out one of the factors, Darkness, Bumpy Sea, or Cold conditions, maybe the results would have been different ... maybe, maybe not. Thank you to all the generous donors to the DAV, Disabled American Veterans, we made our goal. I'll finish with my sincere gratitude to brave servicemen and women during WWII and to all the veterans around the world, who have in the past and the future will fight for a FREE world. Peace to you all. -- Marcy