Man becomes oldest Briton to swim notorious sea strait

A MAN from Peppard has become the oldest Briton to complete a notoriously difficult open water swim.

Nigel Downing, 71, also raised £6,000 for a humanitarian charity when he crossed the Strait of Bonifacío, which is between the islands of Corsica and Sardinia, in a group of 16 swimmers.

The strait divides the Tyrrhenian Sea from the western Mediterranean Sea and is notorious among sailors for its weather and currents.

The swimmers started in four groups at dawn and it took Mr Downing four hours and 25 minutes to complete the 13.9km crossing, although he probably covered up to 15.3km due to the challenging conditions.

The wind was blowing up to force 8 and it was raining heavily, which caused almost zero visibility so the swimmers had to rely on an Italian man in a boat to direct them.

Mr Downing said: “I had a very challenging swim and had my doubts at times about whether I would even finish.

“I had felt so nervous before setting out because I just wanted to complete the distance and make sure all my supporters got their pennies worth. The pressure was intense but a rainbow I saw was a great reminder which spurred me on.

“The sun lit up Cabo Pertusato and out burst this magnificent rainbow. It was a visual demonstration of God’s promise and a real reassurance that all would be well. I burst into tears.

“Every one of us finished the challenge and I feel incredibly proud for all the swimmers. When we finally came into Sardinia I could have wept with joy.

“I have a huge debt of gratitude to Peter, our group’s lead swimmer, who was a real team player.

“It is an amazing achievement for all the swimmers and it was great getting to know such a wonderful bunch of people.”

The event was organised by Neda el Món, which translates from Italian into Swim the World.

Chief executive Marc Caballé paid tribute to the swimmers.

He said: “It was raining during almost the entire crossing and some jellyfish showed up, so the sea was very difficult.

“It was only because the swimmers were well prepared and the groups so well co-ordinated that they could reach their goal. Everyone worked so hard on individual training, then entered the open water as a team to cross the Strait, creating a strategy and helping each other all the way.

“Seeing a group come together to complete a challenge is the best part of these projects and I feel so happy for them all.”

Mr Downing, who is a former GB Olympic triathlete, began training at the beginning of this year at the Henley leisure centre swimming pool and then in May progressed to the River Thames, swimming between Culham Lock and Wallingford Bridge.

He also went to Spain at the end of May for a training swim of 8.5km with the other participants.

His last long-distance swim before this year was in 2015 when he became the oldest Briton to cross the 18km Strait of Gibraltar.

His longest ever challenge was in 2010 when he swam 30km along the River Thames between Henley and Windsor with his daughter Nicole.

It was the same year that he began fundraising for the Mission Aviation Fellowship.

The charity operates 123 light aircraft and partners with 1,500 non-government organisations to send medical supplies, aid workers and relief cargo to more than 25 poorer countries. Mr Downing, who was born in South Africa and moved to Wiltshire when he was nine, said: “The pilots are known to land on some of the most rural and challenging airstrips in the world to provide emergency medical evacuations and respond to natural disasters.

“It’s this high-impact, adrenaline-filled work that impresses me and I’ve always had an enthusiasm for aviation.”

He obtained a pilot’s licence himself before going university to study natural sciences and flew with the university’s air squadron.

After debating a career in the RAF, he decided to pursue his passion for marine biology and went to the University of Cambridge to get his PhD.

He co-founded the learning and development business ProfitAbility, which provides learning solutions to middle and senior management, and is now chairman.

Mr Downing, who lives with his wife Trish, will now be taking a break from swimming but will continue to push himself.

He said: “Whether it’s training, swimming, flying, or serving my community through All Saints’ Church, life is always a little dull without a challenge.”