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1: Name: Oliver Wilkinson
2: Age: 33
3: Resides: Cheltenham, UK, 10 months. Melbourne, Aus, 2 months.
4:Swimming Highlights:
2008 world masters top 10 ranking in age group for 1500m freestyle and...........ranked no 6 in Australia 400m IM............under 14s.............I think there were only 8 recorded swims that year. Winner of 2009 Sandford LIDO sprint!!
5:Biggest influence and coach: Totally inspired by other amateur long distance swimmers and athletes. My wife is one of my greatest inspirations, a full time teacher and long distance triathlete who has competed as an elite triathlete. Often training more than 20 hours a week while working full time. She often gives me training advice, some of which I listen to.
6:Swimming Idol - Des Renford
7: Pool or Ocean - In UK the pool, in Australia the ocean.
8:How many kms a week - about 45km at the moment probably building to 50-60km in preparation for channel crossing.
9:Longest swim and how many hours in the water - 16km and just under 4hours. Much more anticipated.
10:Favorite place you have swam - really enjoyed swimming in Melbourne bay this year. Soft spot for the North Sydney pool under the harbour bridge.
11:Coldest place you have swam and temp - Dover Harbour, 10 degrees May 2009.
12:Roughest swim - Did the swim leg of a triathlon once where I swam through sizeable breakers only to look back and realise the rest of the field had been washed back onto the beach.
13:Swimming goals - English Channel, English Channel, English Channel, English Channel.
14:What or who motivates you - English Channel, English Channel, English Channel, English Channel
15:How much is Physical/Mental - Technique 10%, fitness 10%, cold water acclimatisation/training 20%, nutrition 15%, mental fortitude 45%, country of birth 3%, star sign 2%, religious belief 6.5%, number of nights slept under full moon 1.35%, tax bracket 3.1415%................alright it's 10% physical, 90% mental.
16:Favorite saying: Never save anything for the swim back......................unless you are doing a double channel crossing.
17:Biggest fear swimming - Not getting across the channel.
18:Swimming close calls - got cleaned up by a windsurfer. If he hadn't been my cousin and a lot older and bigger than me he would have been in trouble.
19:Tips for other swimmers - long distance swimming is about efficiency as much as fitness. An efficient technique is critical for saving energy and moving quickly through the water. It's worth spending time getting your technique right rather than just flogging yourself trying to get fit with a poor, inefficient stroke.
20:What would you eat and drink during a swim - glucose drinks, bananas, chocolate, energy gels.
21:Worst place you have swam - Public swimming at the Cheltenham Leisure Centre - don't get me started.
22:Worst injuries - ruptured appendix - does that count?
23:Favorite food,drink,music ,movie and holiday destination
Food: home made mushroom risotto, soy decadent ice cream
Drink: fizzy and ginger.........Veuve Clicquot is quite nice too
Music: at the moment - Jack Johnson, Pete Murray, John Mayer, Eric Satie
Movie: Philadelphia, Life is Beautiful, Cyrano De Begerac.....(I like a good tragedy!)
Holiday destination: Kaui, Hawaii.
24:What do you think of when you are in the water for hours - pain is temporary, glory is forever.
25:Where is one place you haven’t or would like to swim- To Rottnest Island
26:Three people you would invite to dinner - Bishop Spong, Barak Obama, Peter Singer
27:Cold water tips-
1) avoid,
2) if you can't avoid then acclimatise,
3) if you can't acclimatise get fat,
4) if you can't get fat see number (1)
28:Toughest competitor - the elements and my inner demons.
29:How much is weight a factor on long distance swims - I suspect more than I have managed to gain so far.
30:Pet hate - people pushing off from the wall just as I am about to tumble turn when they are clearly slower than me and I have to then immediately tap them repeatedly on their feet to reinforce their stupidity.
31:Biggest thrill - Committing to swim across the English Channel.
32:Favorite sport besides swimming - Always a soft spot for watching Liverpool in the Premier League.
33:Who would you like to sit next to on a plane - my wife.........in 1st class.
34:Car you drive - Astra Van, it's white and panelled.
35:Next swimming challenge - would love to do Rottnest Island.
36:Occupation - Veterinarian
37:D.O.B. - 27/7/1975
38:Favorite Pet - Tassie the Hungarian Viszla and Marley the moggy
39:Reasons for attempting the Channel - to see if I can do it, to raise money for pancreatic cancer and the Sandford Lido, and really because how many times in life do we really get to test the limits of our sanity
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Alby
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