Going the distance

Swim the English Channel without leaving your local pool.

While successfully breast-stroking your way across the English Channel is an unquestionably noble achievement, the risk of hypothermia, gale force winds and stinging jellyfish are all definite downsides.

But, if you’re determined to go the distance a more sensible option is available that won’t see you having to smear fat all over your body – in fact that type of behaviour is positively frowned upon. Take up the 48km challenge from the comfort of your own temperature-controlled, clean and chlorinated local pool – where your biggest danger is that an over excited armband-wearing child may stray in your path.

We’ve picked out ten of Gloucestershire’s best swimming pools and taken the maths out of the equation. So all you have to do is find the pool closest to you, save your swimming kit from growing mouldy in a forgotten drawer and get splashing around at your own pace.

• 1455 lengths of the 33-metre leisure@cheltenham's main pool in Cheltenham
• 1920 lengths of the 25-metre Barton pool at Gloucester’s GL1
• 1920 lengths of the 25-metre main pool at Dursley Pool
• 1920 lengths of the 25-metre pool at Tewkesbury’s Cascades Leisure Centre
• 1920 lengths of Cotswold Leisure's 25-metre pool in Bourton-on-the-Water
• 1920 lengths of Heywood Leisure Centre's 25-metre pool in Cinderford
• 1920 lengths of Brockworth Sport Centre's 25-metre pool
• 1920 lengths of Whitecross Leisure Centre's 25-metre pool in Lydney
• 1920 lengths of Stratford Park Leisure Centre's 25-metre pool in Stroud
• 2400 lengths of Five Acres’ 20-metre pool in Coleford

In no time at all, you will have clocked up the kilometres to make it all the way to France, before popping the champagne to celebrate your good health and highly civilised achievement.

Michelle Byrne
29 May 2007