A team of 36 Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Warriors are set to take on the Ian Pratt Challenge to swim across the Solent on Monday 8th and Tuesday 9th August.
On 8th August, at 10:00, 12 swimmers with leave Ryde, each accompanied by an experienced kayaker and supported by 4 power boats from Rebel Marine, which will escort the swimmers across from the Island to the mainland. The team then pick up another 12 swimmers from Stokes Bay and accompany them back at around 16:00. The following day, the team will then escort a further 12 others, leaving Ryde at 11:00.
The swimmers will have spent many months training in both the pool and the sea, but they will face strong currents, tides, winds, and large clumps of seaweed. Visually, it looks like an easy swim, but the 3.2 miles are subject to strong tides, shipping and pleasure craft, and the swim can take from 90 minutes to 3 hours.
It was in July 2013 that Tony Bray, Scott Miles, Zippy Davies, and Dave Pearce 1st swam from Ryde to Portsmouth to raise funds and awareness of Motor Neurone Disease. The idea came to Tony as a personal challenge the previous July. Having worked away from home for a while, eating all the wrong stuff, he felt that he needed to get back into shape. Tony announced that he was going to swim the Solent – much to everyone’s amusement. However, he trained hard, changed his diet, and lost nearly 5 stone. During 2013, Tony picked up other keen swimmers and together the goal was achieved. The event grew in 2014, when many others decided they would also like to tackle what is now known as the “Ian Pratt MND Challenge”.
Tony met Ian in 2013 and thought him a truly inspirational person. Since 2013, the team have supported over 286 swimmers in the challenge and raised over £260,000. Wightlink Ferries and ICOM Radios UK are sponsors for this year’s event. Keith Greenfield, CEO of Wightlink Ferries, and his daughter Jo are taking part in the challenge on Monday from Stokes Bay to Ryde.
For further information see: https://www.swimmingthesolent4mnd.com/
Hi , I think you have the days wrong. It’s Monday 8th and Tuesday 9th August as far as I am aware. At least that’s when i am planning to swim.