Geneva 70 – The Greatest Challenge Of Them All

Geneva 70 – The Greatest Challenge Of Them All

As anyone reading this will know, the central London property market has faced its fair share of challenges, not least the last two years.

But whatever is thrown at us, we have overcome with grit, determination and a will to succeed.

Again, the gauntlet has been thrown down and our very own James Harrison has picked it up.

This is 15 property people in three teams swimming 87.2km. what could go wrong…?

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Geneva 70.

What is Geneva 70?

The Geneva 70 is a series of endurance swimming events between June and September 2022 designed to put mind, body and spirit to the ultimate test. This isn’t a couple of hundred lengths in the comfort of a warm indoor swimming pool. This is not for the feint of heart. This is as extreme as it gets.

Three teams of property people – The LakeLords, Broker Buoys and Ladies of the Lake - are going toe to toe to see who comes out on top, all the while raising money for four incredible charities – Muscular Dystrophy UK, MacMillan Cancer Support, First Touch and the Charlie Waller Memorial Trust. You can read about the incredible work each one does by clicking on the links and you can donate by clicking this link.

James is one of the Broker Buoys alongside Guy Bowring (Tuckerman), Harry Cormack (Levy), Tracy Collins (Montagu Evans) and Paul Grindal (JLL) and in the lead up to the first event, we caught up with James to get his perspective on what he’s about to embark on.

BDGSP:How did you get involved with the event?

JH:In 2014 Guy Bowring of Tuckerman Commercial and I were chatting over a cold beverage, having just separately completed a relay of the English Channel. We thought it would be a good event for charity and something the property market would enjoy being part of. So between us we launched Sea Breeams in 2015. Fast forward seven years and combining a love of swimming with a love of a challenge we were starting to itch again, so we came up with Geneva 70. This time it’s not just landlords vs. agents, we also managed to talk a ladies team into taking part! Hence, Lake Lords, Broker Buoys and Ladies of the Lake.

BDGSP: How has your training been going?

JH: Cold so far! Training for a long swim takes time, and when that has to be over the winter there aren’t many options for heated pools so I’ve been heading off to a nearby river most weekends. Fortunately I have a very understanding wife, as I leave her with two toddlers at the weekend for several hours and come back smelling like a muddy riverbank! Our next issue is passing the qualification test for LGSA (Lake Geneva Swimming Association). Each participant has to swim for two hours, twice in a single day, in water less than 18°C. I’m not looking forward to that!

BDGSP: Which team do you see as your biggest competition?

JH:Great question! Some of the LakeLords and Broker Buoys are repeating this event so their swimming prowess is a known quantity and there are a few natural dolphins on both teams. However the Ladies of the Lake are a complete unknown and having started this event with a bang in London’s Royal Docks at the end of April, both male teams came across a little quiet after the Ladies of the Lake produced some amazing times!

BDGSP: How are you feeling in the lead up to the events?

JH:The first BIG event is the Queen’s Jubilee Weekend, where we are taking part in the Jubilee Swim down the River Thames into Windsor. 10km is a long way to run, so swimming in water (currently about 15°C) for 3 – 4 hours will be a real challenge. I think I’m ready, but the nerves are really starting to build now as I haven’t done a training swim longer than 7km yet. So the final push will determine if the Ladies of the Lake or the Lake Lords get a lead in the overall race to Geneva.

The Events

This is enough to get Michael Phelps running for the hills…

The Royal Docks Cold Water 5K Relay

This 5 x 1,000m relay is the hors d’oeuvres. For some, it’s their first foray into cold water swimming so it should prove to be a serious test of their collective mettle.

Jubilee River 10K Swim

The Jubilee River is a Thames overflow (technically a hydraulic channel) through the beautiful towns of Windsor, Eton and Maidenhead and with the water at a chilly 12°C - 15°C this is a 2.5 – 4h swim that will require the competitors to dig deep.

JLL Property Swim

A 2.2km sprint of one length of the Eton Dorney Rowing Lake, a world-class facility and host of the 2012 Olympics rowing events. The water should be warm at around 18°C - 20°C and this one is all about speed.

Lake Geneva Signature Relay Swim

The big one. Le Grand Fromage. The Michael Jordan of swimming events. Cold water, choppy conditions, unfeasibly long and incredibly dangerous. All the other events have been mere tasters compared to this. This is 70km of hell.

One competitor from each team will line up on the shore at the perfectly named Chateau de Chillon and teams will swim in one hour rotations until they get to Geneva. Twelve hours are allocated for this beast and swimmers will comply with Captain Webb’s Rules, the first man to swim the English Channel unassisted.

How To Donate

It goes without saying that each of the intrepid (or insane) 15 have put in hundreds of hours of training around busy work and home lives for these events and they’re not doing it for a pat on the back. They are raising money for four amazing charities who each try and change people’s lives for the better but they can do nothing without your support.

Please dig deep to support James and the rest of the guys and girls taking on such a monumental challenge. We know it’s a cliché but truly, just a few pounds makes all the difference.

Click here to give your support and words of encouragement!

James – from your colleagues at BDG Sparkes Porter and from your clients, family and friends, we wish you all the very best!