Sally flies blue for record breaking swim

Swimming the Channel requires years of training and is something only the very bravest, fittest and strongest swimmers can achieve...

But Jersey resident Sally Minty-Gravett is no ordinary swimmer.  A veteran cross channel swimmer, Sally is in fact the only woman in the world to have swum the gruelling 22 miles of the busiest shipping lane in the world in four separate decades - 70s, 80, 90s and 00s.

Sally recently broke another record with her 5th cross channel swim between Dover and Cap Gris Nez near Calais in five decades! Unfortunately Sally couldn't complete her ultimate challenge which was to swim back again, as illness and tides were against her. This huge distance meant Sally would have been in the sea, battling against the powerful tides and winds, plus enduring the taste of salt water and ship oil for over 30 hours.

Not only was this a record breaking swim, but also an opportunity for Sally to raise funds for the RNLI, a charity very close to her heart, as she is well aware of the dangers RNLI crews put themselves in on a daily basis.

Of course these challenges require huge amounts of preparation in terms of training, but there's also a significant amount of financial support required for the pilot boat, essential to help Sally navigate waters which can see between 500 and 600 ships daily, and for travel and accommodation costs.

Thanks to Blue Islands, one thing Sally didn't have to worry about was the cost of flights for her and her crew.

Blue Islands has saved me a great deal of expense and heartache by sponsoring the travel element for this challenge, which allowed me to get in and concentrate on the challenge itself!

Cross channel swimming requires patience as the tides and conditions need to be absolutely perfect before the skipper of her pilot boat will let her anywhere near the water.  To accommodate a waiting game that could take days, Blue Islands first flew Sally and her husband Charlie, once the green light had been given Blue Islands flew the rest of the crew on last-minute flights.

Managing Director of Blue Islands, Rob Veron added

This was a huge effort and a truly remarkable accomplishment for Sally. Blue Islands was delighted to support her so she could focus on the swim and of course raising money for the RNLI, a vital life-saving service in the Channel Islands.

An RNLI spokesperson said

The RNLI is incredibly grateful to supporters such as Sally who generously commit time and engage in fundraising activities. Without such donations the charity and its volunteer crew would not be able to continue its service of preventing the loss of life at sea

Sally is incredibly grateful for all the help received from Blue Islands and Snap Ring Joint Limited in Jersey, particularly Alexander Wood its CEO for his contributions and support.

If you wish to contribute towards Sally's fundraising for the RNLI, please visit http://www.justgiving.com/Sally-Minty-Gravett1.