Time and life are measured differently for all swimmers that are attempting to swim across the English Channel. The waiting days in Dover acquire another rhythm and a quite peculiar routine. Succeeding in the attempt has nothing to do with what happens in this city during the days prior to the swim. What swimmers experience, listen, think, talk, absolutely everything is connected to the strip of sea I contemplated from the airplane window and that shines as a mirror under the dawn light.

There is no time passing in such a distressing manner as it does in this place. I could dare to compare this expectation with the stage prior to a baby’s birth. On one hand, it is one of the most desired moments for a mother but on the other, it also brings an uncertain and anxiety feeling. The days prior to the swim you experience this same, but deeper feeling. Routine changes and transforms depending on the weather conditions and the weather forecast for the next hours. Every day you must train at least ninety minutes inside the Harbor of Dover. That is necessary to start feeling the temperature and saltiness of the water and start getting a sense of the ocean, in summary, start feeling the Channel. Days go by and during training the swimmer feels closer to his/her attempt, but at the same time, the swimmer also feels farther. Restlessness and uncertainty increase by the minute…