Former Cheshire county swimmer to take on the English Channel

Jonny Ratcliffe, a former Cheshire county swimmer from Macclesfield, will swim the English Channel next month.

The 32km (21 mile) route will see him take on deceptively powerful tides, cross one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes and dodge an unwelcome number of jellyfish. Often dubbed “The Everest of Swimming,” it is among the most challenging open water swims in the world.

The crossing can last anywhere between 10 to 17 hours and the rules are strict. Swimmers may not wear wetsuits or have any physical contact with another person or accompanying boat throughout the swim.

Jonny was a keen swimmer while at The King's School in Macclesfield, competing at county level for Cheshire in the late 2000s and swam during his student years for The University of St. Andrews He later got back into swimming as part of a recovery from a slipped disk in 2021. The recovery training soon became training for the English Channel and for the last couple of years he has been training with Red Top Performance in London to get ready.

As part of the training Jonny has competed in a number of competitions and challenges so far this year, including a three-person relay of the English Channel and a 15km race across Torbay back in July. 

Commenting on the challenge ahead Jonny said: 

“I'm hugely excited and nervous to be taking on the English Channel next month. It's going to be a significant mental and physical test, but I'm determined to do it and raise as much money for Stonewall as possible in the process. 

“I've been training hard for the past couple of years and I'm grateful for the support of my partner, friends, family, and Red Top Performance, and am looking forward to getting out there"

Jonny is raising money for Stonewall, a charity that campaigns for the rights of LGBTQ+ people everywhere.

Jonny currently lives in South East London, where he is a Campaign Director for Great British Chefs, a leading premium cookery platform.

Pictured - Jonny Ratcliffe, a former Cheshire county swimmer from Macclesfield.