“You just never know what to expect due to currents and tides that can take you anywhere,” she expressed.
Oldham mentioned that she battled for five to six hours to perfect her stroke while experiencing a sore throat, a blocked nose, and discomfort in her right shoulder.
“But I would never stop; I would never give up, ever,” she insisted.
Her trainer from Perth, Pauline Pratt, along with fellow endurance swimmer Selwyn Jellie, provided support from the boat, cheering her on.
To prepare for the swim, she was slathered in grease and vaseline, receiving food and water via a pole, as she couldn’t touch the boat or be touched by anyone until she finished the swim.
After completing the swim, Oldham thought she might “hang up her bathers and goggles and retire gracefully.” However, one glass of champagne later, she reconsidered and thought about giving the channel another attempt.
If half of all Australians possessed even 1/8 of Mrs. Oldham’s spirit… we can only dream.