'I sat shivering and trying to get my breath back, but once it all sunk in it was brilliant'

"Afterwards I sat there shivering and trying to get my breath back, but once it all sunk in it was brilliant," said a Mountbatten Isle of Wight fundraiser who swam 10k across Lake Windemere, on Father's Day.

"Everyone was clapping for me. It was just really nice," added Jack Holmes, who took on the Arla Great North Swim, in memory of his dad, Chris.

The swim was equivalent to the official Olympic open-water distance. It was made up of six laps over a one-mile course.

Jack has managed to raise over £1,600 so far and said he has been "completely overwhelmed by the support," adding without it, his challenge would not have been possible.

A man sat in a wetsuit on a chair holding a swim cap

Support Mountbatten Isle of Wight fundraiser Jack Holmes's Arla Great North Swim challenge

Donate via Jack's fundraising page: CLICK HERE to sponsor Jack

Left: two men and a woman with sunflower garlands on their heads / Right: a man in a wetsuit holding a swim cap and wearing a medal

Jack recalled first getting into the water and feeling, "really nervous. I was nervous for quite a long time, actually, because of the ten hour drive and the fact it was the longest swim I'd ever done.

"It wasn't long before my arms and legs were sore and I had to take a rest at one of the boats, to have a drink and 'refuel'. That's when the cold really caught up to me," Jack explained.

"As I made it through each lap, I had to keep reminding myself of the support I'd received and told myself to not give up, even during moments like when I collided with another swimmer during my fourth lap and had to stop to readjust my goggles. That was a struggle, as it let the cold catch up to me again."

Fighting against the wind and the waves was especially tough for Jack. The beginning of a lap was easier as the wind pushed swimmers forward, but the final sections were gruelling.

The support Jack had from his family, those who donated to his cause and even those swimming alongside him on the day is what kept him going through these tough moments.

Left: a family wearing matching t-shirts / Centre: a man in a wetsuit stood beneath a sign reading "splashed it" / Right: a man sat looking tired in a dry robe

Jack described the encouragement he felt when coming across another swimmer he'd met at the start of the race, while taking a break at one of the rest stops on his final lap.

He said: "We both encouraged each other to keep swimming when we were struggling the most and that was really special. Remembering who I was there for — and my brother telling me before the swim that he wouldn't let me out of that lake until I was finished — helped as well".

After he was diagnosed with aggressive brain cancer in July 2018, Jack's father, Chris Holmes, was cared for by Mountbatten Isle of Wight's inpatient unit staff.

Work by our charity's community nurses and care at home specialists meant Chris was able to return home, where he died in December 2018.

Jack said: "The support my family received from staff and volunteers at Mountbatten Isle of Wight, during our most vulnerable and difficult time, was invaluable. Their kindness, compassion and dedication made all the difference."

A family wearing sunflower garlands on their heads and wearing matching t-shirts reading "Team Holmes"

Donate and continue to support Jack's Lake Windermere swim for Mountbatten Isle of Wight

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