10 DAYS IN DOVER
Reflections on Life, Food and Channel SwimmingShort Stories with Recipes
a book by Kate Curtis, coming soon.
My teammates and I knew there would be no boats taking swimmers out in these conditions. Much like waiting at base camp for the weather to clear, the sea was our Everest, and Dover was our base camp.
The series of events that unfolded over the next ten days were some of the best times of my life. They were also the most challenging and the most life changing. These stories are all unfolding in my next book:
10 Days in Dover
Call me a romantic, but I think 10 days is just enough time to fall in love.
I love Dover… but the truth is, we got off on the wrong foot.
I arrived with a suitcase full of bikinis and fleece jackets, ready to swim the English Channel (Yes, an odd combination, but it was summer along the British coast.)
I was part of a team that included Trent Grimsey, a tall and handsome Australian who holds the current world record for the fastest Channel swim at 6 hours and 55 minutes. To say the team was full of bravado and big dreams would have been an understatement.
But Dover did not roll out the red carpet. Storms at sea threatened to cancel all plans.
“No boats going out today.” Our pilot shrugged. “Or tomorrow.”
He took his hands out of his pockets and gestured towards town.
“Entertain yourself.”
He might as well have told the whole team to go bugger off.
Dejected, we did as we were told. My teammates and I had 10 days in Dover to wait for the weather to turn, so we entertained ourselves the best way we knew how: Through food, laughter and adventure.
10 Days in Dover
Reflections on Life, Food and Channel Swimming
Short Stories with Recipes
a book by Kate Curtis, coming soon.
The idea to write a book about Dover came to me during the summer of 2016 when I was waiting to swim the English Channel. I was passing time in a small basement pub as the wind and rain howled outside. (You’d never know it was summer with the pile of down jackets behind me.)
The idea to write a book about Dover came to me during the summer of 2016 when I was waiting to swim the English Channel. I was passing time in a small basement pub as the wind and rain howled outside. (You’d never know it was summer with the pile of down jackets behind me.)
My teammates and I knew there would be no boats taking swimmers out in these conditions. Much like waiting at base camp for the weather to clear, the sea was our Everest, and Dover was our base camp.
The series of events that unfolded over the next ten days were some of the best times of my life. They were also the most challenging and the most life changing. These stories are all unfolding in my next book:
10 Days in Dover
Call me a romantic, but I think 10 days is just enough time to fall in love.
I love Dover… but the truth is, we got off on the wrong foot.
I arrived with a suitcase full of bikinis and fleece jackets, ready to swim the English Channel (Yes, an odd combination, but it was summer along the British coast.)
I was part of a team that included Trent Grimsey, a tall and handsome Australian who holds the current world record for the fastest Channel swim at 6 hours and 55 minutes. To say the team was full of bravado and big dreams would have been an understatement.
But Dover did not roll out the red carpet. Storms at sea threatened to cancel all plans.
“No boats going out today.” Our pilot shrugged. “Or tomorrow.”
He took his hands out of his pockets and gestured towards town.
“Entertain yourself.”
He might as well have told the whole team to go bugger off.
Dejected, we did as we were told. My teammates and I had 10 days in Dover to wait for the weather to turn, so we entertained ourselves the best way we knew how: Through food, laughter and adventure.
10 Days in Dover
Reflections on Life, Food and Channel Swimming
Short Stories with Recipes
a book by Kate Curtis, coming soon.
Kate is a member of the Channel Swimming and Piloting Federation and the legendary Serpentine Swim Club located in London’s Hyde Park.
10 DAYS IN DOVER
Throughout my open-water adventures, I have gained a tremendous amount of respect for the sea, and how dangerous it can become in only a matter of minutes.
In 2019, I had the opportunity to visit The Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) in Dover and was given a tour by Coxswain Jon Miell. (Jon crewed our successful English Channel crossing in 2018).
It was then that I learned more about the critical lifesaving and rescue work of the RNLI, and how important this organization is throughout hundreds of coastal communities in the UK and Ireland. Most of the lifeboat crews are volunteers and the organization is 100% funded through donations.
I have committed to donate 50% of all royalties from my next book, 10 Days in Dover to supporting the lifesaving efforts of the RNLI.
