Grantham strongman Ross Edgley first person to swim around Great Britain
Photographs by Toby Roberts
Grantham’s very own strongman Ross Edgley has become the first person to swim around Great Britain after spending 23 weeks at sea.
The 33-year-old, from Grantham, crossed the finish line off the coast of Margate in Kent on Sunday morning after swimming an incredible 1,792 miles.
Hundreds of spectators gathered at Margate harbour as Ross emerged from the sea to be reunited with his family and friends.
Ross left Margate on June 1 and did not set foot on land until Sunday.
The five-month feat saw the fitness expert battle against the tide, brave storms, race ferries and swim with countless sealife including dolphins, seals and even a shark.
He ate his way through more than 600 bananas in order to consume the 15,000 calories his body needed every day to keep going.
But it also took a toll on Ross’s body as he was forced to treat an open neck wound, a rotting tongue known as ‘salt mouth’ which is caused by the effect of seawater build-up in the mouth and throat.
He was also stung 37 times by jellyfish, eventually growing a beard to prevent more stings. He also used three kilograms of Vaseline for chaffing.
But not content with just breaking one record, Ross entered the Guinness Book of World Records on August 14 when he became the first British person to swim the length of Great Britain, completing the 900-mile distance from Lands’ End to John O’Groats in a record time of 62 days.
Despite swimming for up to 12 hours a day, Ross, whose family still live in Grantham, was happy to speak to the Journal from his boat back in September.
He said: “The support from the Grantham contingent has been phenomenal. When you look at where everyone is watching from on social media, there is people from all over the world, but Grantham is always there.”
We caught up with Ross again on Monday to ask how he was adjusting to life back on land.
He said: “The Grantham force has been so strong throughout my journey. It felt like the whole of Grantham was in Margate on Sunday. The support from my hometown has meant so much to me.
“We are small town so it feels like if one if us has swam around Great Britain, then we all have.”
Ross admits that it’s going to be a challenge to fit back into society, adding: “On my first night back, I woke my girlfriend up at 4am to ask about the tide. I think it is going to take a while to get used to being back in society and sticking to a schedule again.”
Despite the challenges, Ross says he will miss lots of aspects about life on the open water, adding: “I will never forget the incredible amount of sealife that I got to see and swim with including countless seals, dolphins and even a shark.”
To mark the end of the Great British Swim and thank everyone for their support, Ross invited 300 swimmers to complete his final mile alongside him.
The places were snapped up within 10 minutes of opening last month.
Dale Nix, 54, of Alma Park, Grantham, managed to grab one of the places.
He said: “It was a fantastic day. I met up with everyone for a briefing on the beach at 6.30am. The atmosphere was amazing. Everyone was very excited.
“We had to swim up to a buoy and wait a few minutes for Ross to appear which he soon did with his beaming smile. Everyone started cheering when he beckoned us over to join him.
“Ross was attempting to break a record yet he still wanted to share his moment with us. I can’t imagine any other sports star doing the same.”
Dale started open water swimming as a hobby in 2012. He has continued to train and take part in open water events ever since.
He said: “My target last year was 1,000km which I completed in approximately 350 days, which took a lot of commitment, so I can really appreciate what Ross has been able to do in just five months. It was a privilege to be involved.”
Paul Letchworth was the second person from Grantham who managed to snap up one of the 300 places.
Paul taught art at The King’s School, Grantham, when Ross was a pupil there.
Paul, who now teaches in Sleaford, said: “It was absolutely amazing. I am familiar with Ross’s other challenges but as a keen swimmer, I have been particularly following Ross’s progress throughout the Great British Swim. The concept of being able to swim with him in such a herculean task was absolutely amazing.
“Ross has always struck me as very humble. He is full of energy and has an infectious laugh. He just oozes positivity and has got an incredible mental attitude.
“I was always planning to go to Margate to watch Ross finish so I was extremely lucky to get a place to swim alongside him. I knew I just had to go. “
Paul joined Dale Nix and the other swimmers in Margate on Sunday morning.
Paul added: “We met him in the water and all swam together. He spent about five hours on the beach just chatting to people and posing for photos. This event will be permanently etched on my mind.”
The Great British Swim has been nominated for World Swim of the Year.
You can cast your vote by visiting www.worldworldopenwaterswimmingassociation.com