許汶而 Wen's Swimming Club

100 years ago today, 20-year-old Gertrude Ederle defied the odds to become the first woman to swim the English Channel, beating the men’s record by nearly two hours. 🏊🏆

Gertrude Ederle - 100 YEARS!

Tomorrow, August 6, 2026, marks the 100th anniversary of Gertrude Ederle becoming the first woman to swim the English Channel. To celebrate this historic achievement, there will be the official opening of the Trudy Ederle exhibition at the Dover Museum.

Key details for the event:

- Opening Date: Tomorrow, August 6, 2026.
- Public Access: Attendees are welcome to view the exhibition starting after 12:00 PM.
- Duration: The display will remain open throughout the summer and potentially beyond.

At just 19 years old, Ederle not only conquered the Channel but also surpassed the times of the five men who had successfully completed the swim before her. We hope you can come and look at the exhibition during your stay in Dover.

About SIPE

HEY SWIMMER, READ THIS, IT MAY SAVE YOUR LIFE...

Swimming Induced Pulmonary Edema (SIPE) is a potentially dangerous complication that sometimes occurs during or after strenuous exercise in the water, especially cold water.

SIPE is basically fluid from the blood that leaks abnormally from the small vessels of the lungs (pulmonary capillaries) into the airspaces in the lungs (alveoli).

Shortness of breath and coughing, sometimes producing blood/pink fluids during or after extended open water swims are the typical signs/symptoms of SIPE. Though the condition is relatively rare, an increasing number of cases are being reported in endurance athletes, especially open water swimmers.

Episodes of SIPE occur in highly fit individuals of any age but it has been reported that those with high blood pressure, diabetes, those who use fish oil or aspirin, and lastly, women are more susceptible than others.

It is not known why some individuals develop SIPE and others do not. Some theories suggest that redistribution of blood from the extremities caused by the immersion, lead to central blood pooling. It is sometimes described as a perfect storm. It should be noted that these risk factors are not definitive as there is much yet to learn about SIPE.

With treatment, typically diuretics and/or oxygen, SIPE usually resolves spontaneously within 24 hours.

Whenever signs and symptoms of SIPE are experienced, the situation must be evaluated by medical professionals immediately. SIPE has been found to be fatal if not treated. Unfortunately, individuals who develop SIPE often have recurrences.

AGAIN, the signs/symptoms you should be aware of are:
- Coughing
- Shortness of breath (out of proportion to the normal effort required for the situation)
- Sputum with pinkish colour (hemoptysis)

If any of these symptoms appear, you should immediately exit the water and contact a health care professional or if in severe distress, dial 911... Be sure to tell them you may be experiencing symptoms of Swimming Induced Pulmonary Edema and why it's difficult to breathe.

Be safe out there, kids!

The Moment I Put Taiwan on the North Channel Map 🇹🇼

Donaghadee 是北海峽泳渡的起點。
在當地的 Pier 36 酒吧，有一面牆，留下了歷年所有成功泳渡北海峽泳者的簽名。更特別的是，店裡還有一張世界地圖，每位泳手都可以在上面標出自己來自哪個國家。

去年等待游泳的時候，我就曾經來這裡朝聖。
看著牆上一個又一個名字，也看著地圖上來自世界各地的一顆顆小紅點，
當時我就默默告訴自己：如果有一天我成功泳渡，我一定要把臺灣標在這張地圖上。

希望未來每一位來到這裡的人都能知道，台灣也有泳手成功游過北海峽。

不論來自多麼溫暖的國家，只要用對方法、願意投入足夠的訓練，一樣能夠克服冷水、完成這項看似不可能的挑戰。

今天，我終於能夠驕傲地在這面牆上留下自己的名字，也親手在世界地圖上標出台灣的位置。

對我而言，這不只是完成一次泳渡，而是把台灣放進了北海峽的歷史裡。

這一刻，是整趟北海峽旅程中最讓我感動、也最有意義的一刻。 🇹🇼❤️

——

Donaghadee is the starting point of the North Channel.

At Pier 36, there’s a wall covered with the names of everyone who has successfully completed the crossing. Even more special is a world map where swimmers can place a pin to show where they come from.

While waiting for my swim window last year, I came here and stood in front of that wall. Looking at all the names and all the little pins from around the world, I quietly made a promise to myself “If I ever made it across the North Channel, I would put Taiwan on that map.”

I wanted every swimmer who visits in the future to see that someone from Taiwan has crossed the North Channel.

No matter how warm your home country is, with the right training, preparation, and enough determination, it’s still possible to overcome cold water and achieve something that once seemed impossible.

Today, I finally had the honour of writing my name on that wall and placing Taiwan on the map.

For me, this wasn’t just about completing another channel swim.
It was about putting Taiwan on the North Channel map.

🇹🇼❤️

台灣第一人或許聽起來輝煌，
但背後真的真的太辛苦，
很多經驗都是親身經歷換來的⋯
希望這些經驗能夠後人少走冤枉路

北海峽 - 我在鬼門關前走了一遭。

游泳後 72 小時，我終於可以躺平睡覺，並且醒來完全沒有想咳嗽。

直到現在，我才有辦法冷靜地回頭思考，那一天到底發生了什麼。

有些人可能會說：「都已經游完了，還想這些做什麼？」

但對我來說，弄清楚原因，可能會影響我未來每一次海峽游泳。

最後四個小時，天氣急遽惡化。下著雨、風越來越大、海面變得破碎混亂，水溫也降到了 13.7°C。

最後三個小時，我幾乎不停地咳嗽，我每一划都需要吸氣、吸完氣就在水中咳嗽、再吸氣、再咳嗽⋯感覺像一直有痰需要咳出來，最後甚至開始換氣過度⋯當時，我一直以為只是吸到了海水。

但身為一名有經驗的開放水域泳者，我游過比這更惡劣的海況，卻從來沒有出現過這樣的咳嗽。

我繼續游泳，只是每一次換氣都變得越來越困難，最後 500 公尺，我甚至必須改成蛙式，才能勉強吸到足夠的空氣。

游完回到船上後，我開始咳出粉紅色、帶有血絲的痰，立刻前往醫院。但因為等待時間太長，最後沒有看到醫生。

就在等待的過程中，我恢復了正常排尿，咳嗽也逐漸停止，呼吸慢慢改善。

和幾位有過類似經驗的人討論後，我認為自己很可能發生了 SIPE（Swimming-Induced Pulmonary Edema，游泳誘發性肺水腫）。

SIPE 是一種游泳時肺部滲出液體所造成的肺水腫，會導致呼吸困難、持續咳嗽，以及咳出粉紅色或帶血的痰。嚴重時，甚至可能危及生命。

這幾天，我一直反覆回想最後幾個小時的每一個細節。

其中一個最大的改變，是補水策略。

最後四個小時，我把補給頻率從每 30 分鐘改成每 20 分鐘，但我們沒有同步減少每次補給的水量，因此整體水分攝取增加了不少。

我無法確定這就是造成 SIPE 的原因，但加上冷水、長時間高強度游泳，以及身體長時間承受極限負荷，我相信這很可能是其中一個促成因素。

其實，我以前就知道 SIPE。

但真正發生在自己身上時，我完全沒有認出它。

直到現在回頭看，才驚覺當時的情況可能有多危險。

那也是我這麼多年海峽游泳以來，第一次真正感覺到，自己離死亡可能只有一步之遙。

這次經歷，讓我真正明白了一件事。

「海峽游泳，真的是一項極限運動。
它的容錯率非常低。」

一個看似微不足道的改變：多喝了一點水、體溫下降一些，或是沒有及時辨認身體發出的警訊，都可能讓一次原本順利的游泳，變成一場危及生命的意外。

我們花了無數時間訓練身體。
但了解風險、辨識風險，和在關鍵時刻做出正確判斷，與體能一樣重要。

我很慶幸，自己最後平安回到了岸上。

如果我的經驗，能幫助哪怕一位長泳或冷水游泳的人，更早認識 SIPE、更早察覺身體發出的警訊，或因此避免犯下和我一樣的錯誤，那麼分享這段經歷，就有它的價值。

———

A Close Call in the North Channel

72 hours after my swim, I’m finally able to lie flat in bed and wake up without the urge to cough.

Only now have I been able to think clearly about what happened.

Some people might say, “It doesn’t matter anymore. You made it.”

But to me, understanding what happened could make all the difference in every future swim.

During the final 4 hours of the North Channel, the weather deteriorated rapidly. It was raining, windy, the sea turned rough, and the water temperature dropped to 13.7°C.

For the last 3 hours, I couldn’t stop coughing until it led to hyperventilation. I breathe, I cough underwater, I breathe again, I cough again…I thought I’d simply inhaled some seawater. But despite years of open-water swimming, I’d never experienced anything like it.

I kept swimming.
By the final 500 metres, I had to switch to breaststroke just to breathe.

After finishing, I realised I was coughing up pink, blood-streaked sputum and went straight to the hospital.

After speaking with others who had experienced similar symptoms, I believe I most likely suffered SIPE (Swimming-Induced Pulmonary Edema)—fluid leaking into the lungs during swimming, causing severe breathing difficulty, persistent coughing, and sometimes blood-tinged sputum. In severe cases, it can be life-threatening.

Looking back, one thing stands out.

During the last four hours, we increased my feeding frequency from every 30 to every 20 minutes but didn’t reduce the water in each feed. I can’t say this caused the SIPE, but combined with prolonged cold-water swimming, I believe it may have contributed.

I’ve read about SIPE.
But I didn’t recognise it when it was happening.

For the first time in all my years of channel swimming, I realised how close I might have been to losing my life.

Channel swimming truly is an extreme sport.

The margin for error is incredibly small.

A seemingly minor change can turn a successful swim into a life-threatening emergency.

We spend countless hours training our bodies, but understanding the risks is just as important.

I’m incredibly grateful that I made it safely back to land.

The goal isn’t just to finish the swim. It’s to make it safely back to land.

If sharing my experience helps even one swimmer recognise SIPE earlier, then this story is worth telling.

🏊‍♀️North Channel Solo
Irland ➡️Scotland 35km

Finally got the green light for my North Channel swim! 💚☘️

I’ve been waiting two years for this moment!!!

🟢 GO TIME

📅 29 July
🕒 3:00 am UK time | 10:00 am Taipei time

Live tracking:
https://infinitychannelswimming.com/live-tracking

I’m grateful for this chance🍀
I’ll enjoy every single stroke across the North Channel. 💙

We make it look easy, doesn’t mean it is.

Some people say, “Swimming in cold water must be nothing for you.”

The truth is, we’ve been training so hard in 11–13°C water. And yes, that is freezing cold. Not just for “normal people”, but for us too. 🥶

That’s why we can be so chill in 14°C water, looking like we’re on holiday somewhere in the Mediterranean, swimming in 26°C water. 😂☀️

14°C is still not as warm as we’d like, but compared to 12°C? It feels pretty good!

Training is not easy at all. We’ve just learned to stay positive, stay tough, and keep smiling through it. 💪