Gale storms and atrocious weather conditions have conspired to prevent TNT's 'shore-to-shore we can' swim across the English Channel this week.
The TNT team were taking the plunge to raise funds for the children's charity, Wooden Spoon - edging TNT Express Services' total donation to Spoon nearer to its £3 million target.
The decidedly unseasonal August weather has left the TNT swimmers frustrated but still determined to get the job done at the earliest opportunity.
Having been praised for their courage in undertaking the arduous challenge in the first place, the team of Jon Straw, Daniel Vines, Heather Mather, Steve Foster, Owen Maybank, Simon Bradbury and Charles Cartier could not go against expert advice and actually risk their lives in the choppy chilly Channel waters.
Team Leader, Jon Straw, expressed the team's profound disappointment when he said: "We have all trained so hard and are fully focused on raising as much money as possible for the children who are supported by Wooden Spoon. We've been told we're a courageous bunch but it could have been a kamikaze mission if we'd ignored the expert advice and tried to swim in these horrendous conditions."
The team will now be 'treading water' for what could be days or weeks before they get the green light to go but a defiant Jon, said the swimmers remained totally committed to completing the swim in the near future.
The fundraising total is presently running at over £16,000 and TNT is striving to get as close to an ambitious target of £30,000 as possible.
Jon added: "Thank you to everyone who has so far supported the Swim's fundraising efforts and, to anybody who has not previously taken an interest, now's your chance. If you wish to sponsor the swimmers please go to our Just Giving website at http://www.justgiving.com/shoretoshore."
The team has already won the endorsement of Olympic swimming silver medallist, Sharron Davies, MBE.
Sharron said: "You can't help but admire the efforts and the determination of the TNT swimmers - they've been training for months, giving up their evenings and their weekends and holding down their 'day jobs' while preparing for the challenge of their lives.
"I know they will be bitterly disappointed by the weather preventing them from getting the job done but you can't legislate for Mother Nature and the elements. I'm sure that when there is a break in the weather the TNT team will give it their best shot and make it across to Calais."
TNT is the biggest single benefactor of Wooden Spoon having raised £2.5m in recent years. The company is determined to reach the £3m milestone by the end of 2011.
TNT Channel cash splash dashed by gales
posted: Tuesday, 24 August 201024th August 2010