Battle Back swimmers complete cross-Channel race

Leaving from Shakespeare Beach in Dover on Tuesday 20 July 2009, the team of Service personnel from the rehabilitation programme 'Battle Back,' took turns to swim their part of an arduous race to Cape Griz in France against tough competition from the Royal Navy, the Army, the RAF and the Wales University Officer Training Corps.

The three main Service teams were competiting for the Channel Eagle trophy which last year was won by the Royal Navy who claimed it again this year after beating their closest rivals, the Army, by 15 minutes.

The RAF team came third, with the Wales UOTC team claiming fourth place, while the Battle Back team finished in a respectable 13 hours 57 minutes.

'Battle Back' is a military programme which encourages members of the Armed Forces who have been injured either on or off duty, to participate in adventurous training activities and sports as part of their rehabilitation.

Two of the Servicemen from the Battle Back team who took part in this week's cross channel race, are going through rehabilitation after being injured by Improvised Explosive Devices in Afghanistan in seperate incidents.

Corporal Scott Blaney was hit by an IED in Afghanistan in 2007 whilst on a foot patrol to clear out compounds while he was on deployment with the Grenadier Guards.

Cpl Blaney said:

"You can't lie around feeling sorry for yourself, you've got to do these things. Yeah, I've got a prosthetic leg and yeah I'm classed as disabled, but I don't look at it that way.

"I was the first Grenadier Guard amputee to stand guard at the tower of london and I run every where, so I see this as just another thing to get on with."

Cpl Blaney took part in the cross Channel swim having had treatment in Selly Oak as well as Headley Court.

He said:

"I did my time in Selly Oak and then went to Headley Court and got my prosthesis and then I had to run and ride a bike and get fit.

"There's no place like Headley Court in the world as you're surrounded by Servicemen, so if you're down, any time someone starts talking to you, you can relate to each other's experiences."

Also on the team is Senior Aircraftsman Mike Goody from 1 Squadron RAF Regiment who was injured in an IED explosion in October 2008 while on a driving patrol in Afghanistan.

Of his Channel swimming challenge he said:

"We've been swimming in the harbour in Dover twice a day since last Thursday. The current can swing you round and we've been told that about three or four hours into it you feel like you've gone nowhere as you're only a couple of miles off as the current swings you round.

"The water's cold in the harbour, but you get heat from the beach. But once you get into the cold water it drops at least another degree which doesn't sound that much but when you've got nothing on apart from a pair of swimming trucks!"

Battle Back swim team member and the challenge's organiser, Lieutenant Colonel Rob Healey of the Royal Signals said:

"It's only the second time the Services have done this race. It's a real challenge. It's very unpleasant out there, it's 21 miles long. You're crossing the two busiest shipping lanes in the world. It is a real test of teamwork, of training before you get there, and three Services want to win so it's very, very competitive.

"You've got to want to be there. It's very likely that people will feel sick or feel rough. They know they have to go in the water and if you don't keep yourself fit enough to keep yourself fast and strong, you start to go down with hypothermia so you have to train hard for it.

"I ran a training camp in Gibraltar in May so we all met up there and they all trained for a week. Scotty [Cpl Blaney] lasted for about 10 seconds in the sea on his first day, a wave crashed over him and he panicked and came out.

"Four days later he did an 800-metres swim at night in the sea and did two hours in the sea the day after that and it's been really good to give him confidence. Almost from day one to day five of that training week he seemed to grow six-inches in height from just his self confidence.

"Whilst Headley Court is there, it's helping to repair people physically and makes a huge difference to their outlook on life, coming back into the mainstream with other serving soldiers, sailors and airmen, and this sort of stuff is great for that. It's invaluable."

Now the Battle Back team has successfully completed this latest challenge, what's next?

"We'll rest and then start planning fresh adventures for next year", concluded Lt Col Healey.