Thomas Noblett, of the Langdale Chase Hotel, Windermere, has been awarded the Fred Slater Trophy from the British Long Distance Swimming Association in recognition of completing 14 races over the past year, from Derwent Water to Dover Harbour. He is intent on pushing himself even further in 2010.
He said: “I am ecstatic about this. I think I won the award because I have never failed to finish a race. I completed every single one I entered. Initially it started off as a bet with a friend. It was just a major challenge I could barely swim a length at first.”
One of his proudest achievements was completing the BDLSA’s Champion of Champions swim, at Dover Harbour, which involved completing a 5mile swim, followed by a 3 mile swim then a 1 mile swim.
He said: “It took me seven hours to finish. Some of the professional swimmers had to be dragged out of the water. The reason I got through was just down to determination and the will to complete it no matter what.”
Mr Noblett, who has been managing director at the hotel for 17 years, says he owes it all to local swimming instructor Lee Read.
“I am 100 per cent grateful to him and my hotel manager Andrew ‘The Admiral’ Tighe. He accompanied me on all the swims in a boat and he suffered as much as me, sometimes it was easier for me than him, especially on Derwent Water when the boat capsized.”
So far he has raised £4,000 for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust through his swimming, inspired by Mr Read’s son Luca, who has the disease.