The Matriarsea team – Brigitte Suggitt, Chloe Norton-Lamb, Laura Suggitt, Briony Davies, Emily Varley, and Sian McGuinness – completed the crossing from Dover to France in 12 hours and 49 minutes, covering 35 miles against challenging tides.
Swimming in memory of her brother Henry, who died in 2015 just weeks before starting a marine biology degree, Laura and the team raised more than £6,000 for three marine charities: Project Seagrass, Planet Patrol, and Surfers Against Sewage.
“Reaching France in the sparkling sunshine with this team was magical,” said Laura. “I am so proud to be their captain and to honour Henry’s memory.”
The journey was far from straightforward. Originally scheduled for June, high winds forced a postponement. Undeterred, the team devised a double-distance challenge in Dover Harbour, battling sewage, freezing water, and strong winds.
When a last-minute August opportunity arose, they took the risk, swimming in pitch-black conditions, facing four-foot swells, jellyfish, and the stench of diesel and sewage.
“The first five hours were gruelling,” Laura admitted. “But we dug deep, supported each other, and refused to give up.”
The Matriarsea team has spent the last decade championing marine conservation, funding seagrass habitat restoration, a dedicated research lab, and youth bursaries in Henry’s name.
“There were many reasons we shouldn’t have made it, but we did,” Laura added. “We were extremely lucky to have amazing supporters, and most of all each other, to lift us when things got tough. This was one hell of a lesson in never giving up. I am proud of these women – and proud to be a woman. We really can do anything.”
Project Seagrass praised the team’s fundraising, especially the Suggitt family’s contributions to the Henry Suggitt Laboratory. For more on their journey and to support their cause, visit https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/thematriarsea
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