Paul Parrish
By his own admission, Paul was late to swimming. He didn’t learn any discernible stroke until he was in his late thirties. But he is the exception that proves the SwimQuest rule; you’re never too old to swim and to surprise yourself! Within three years of learning to swim Paul had completed his first Ironman triathlon and he went on to complete many long-distance events, culminating in a successful Arch to Arc attempt, the crux of which included a solo swim of the English Channel.
He has also completed eight Channel Relays, a Loch Ness Relay and swum the Solent from Portsmouth to Ryde. In September 2023 he will become the first person to return to the Arch to Arc when he joins a relay team attempting this challenge, and in 2025 Paul successfully completed his English Channel Solo in skins.
The best thing about guiding is watching swimmers gain in confidence as a week progresses. You cannot beat sharing that sense of achievement that swimming can give someone.