Deborah Cromer Graham

I did it!!

2km Ocean swim - check!

Final Training of the Program

You thought only kids could do horse races in the pool right?? Well this was how we ended our pool session this morning! I swear we actually did do some swimming at other times - it wasn't all about horse racing!

Aghhh I've signed up for the 2km swim!

I've bitten the bullet! I've decided to do the 2km ocean swim. Apparently I can do it (according to the rest of the CanToo pod and coaches) but I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous! Bring on Sunday!

Another swim across the Bay

This weekend I swam across Coogee Bay and back again - another 1.5km and it felt great! Added bonus - saw a groper and some stingrays too. Not bad for some exercise at the end of the street :)

Benchmark Swim

This morning we did the second benchmark swim I missed the first due to an incident with a finger and a knife, but we won't go there). Swam 1km in 22m55s. I have no idea if that's any good, but I was just happy to manage the whole thing without stopping! And swimming 1km before 7am is definitely an achievement no matter what the time!

Halfway through training

Proper Ocean swim!

So last weekend I joined the 2km group for their ocean swim at it was AMAZING! We swam 1.6km - all around coogee bay - check out the map of our swim below! I definitely couldn't have done that a couple of months ago. Now I just have to try to do it without stopping!

Okay - I've committed!

I live in Coogee - so I guess I should know how to swim in the ocean right? 

Since moving to Coogee over 12 years ago, I always thought it would be great to swim in the ocean. 

And that's where it stopped - thinking about it.

Except that a few months ago my sister said she was going to do a 1km ocean swim, and I decided that it was now or never.  

Can Too provide professionally coached training programs for people to learn ocean swimming, targeted towards a 1km ocean swim at the end of the program.

In return, I've committed to raising funds that go towards cancer research. Since 2005, Can Too Foundation have raised over $25,000,000 to invest in over 200 one-year cancer research grants. And being a researcher myself I know just how important all those funds are!!

It would be fantastic if you could sponsor me (and also remind me that you're sure I will be able to swim the 1km in the ocean in the end!)

Thank you for your support!

Training Day 1

First training session in the pool.

So today it all began!! I have to say, probably the hardest part by far was the 5:30am wake up for the 6am training start... remind me why I signed up for this again?

Oh and I also discovered my legs don't work. Apparently I only swim with my arms... cue me being halfway down the first lap of our kicking set while everyone else was finished (only mild exaggeration there). Might have to work on that one if I'm going to swim 1km in the ocean!