Read this fantastic review of 'From Starr to Starrfish'

Read this fantastic review of ‘From Starr to Starrfish’ - the true story of our Chairman Rob Starr’s quest to swim the English Channel

Review by Tom Edwards, first published in the Swimming Times on 1st November 2014.

The English Channel: despite its popularity as a sports-based fundraising challenge, the 20-mile expanse remains a treacherous stretch of sea to swim across - with its unpredictable currents, icy temperatures and over 500 ships crossing the length each day. As the author points out on only the second page of this book, more people have climbed Mount Everest than have successfully swum the English Channel.Why, then, would a 40-plus-year-old man, who suffers from rheumatism, osteoporosis and Crohn’s disease, and has never swum seriously before, let alone in the sea, presume he could manage it in just over a year? Only a few pages into this book, and it becomes clear that Rob Starr is not only refreshingly (perhaps naively) optimistic but has an unbridled desire to do good in his community.His mission to swim was thus launched in order to help fund the Starr Trust, set up in memory of Rob’s late father, and which pledges to bring smiles to children’s faces through a variety of charitable causes. Having written a daily blog about his experiences in the run-up to the swim, Starr has now compiled them into a hardback copy so his journey can be read from start to finish.

Ambitious

An insurance executive from Brighton, Starr comes across as an ambitious yet family-oriented man, who writes articulately and with plenty of humour. Each entry covers enough progress - or sometimes lack thereof - so as to avoid being overly repetitive, while plenty of personal stories and anecdotes help paint an interesting picture of his life. That said, it would be nice to see the entries divided into chapters, so that the reader, much like the swimmer, could have regular milestones to accomplish.More photos would also be appreciated, especially given the number that Starr’s friend Leo is reported to have taken during their early morning swims around Brighton pier. I, for one, was eager to see the author swimming with sharks at the Brighton Sea Life Centre on his 42nd birthday - again to raise money for and awareness of his charity - but had to make do with his description.Over the course of 327 pages, we learn about the ups and downs of his preparation for the gruelling swim - from the obvious disease-related struggles to his swimming techniques, training methods and appointments with his ‘physio-terrorist’ - so named due to the pain she inflicted when working on his muscles. A small, pleasant community of early morning swimmers is formed at his local beach, of which he soon becomes a valued and supported member.His accounts show just how beneficial - to both the body and the mind - cold water swimming can become, and he reports his guilt and frustration whenever he is unable to enjoy a morning swim due to other commitments, or is forced to use an indoor pool instead.‘Sometimes the morning swim can make me a little tired, but most days, like today, it readies me for the day ahead and makes me feel I could take on the world. For those willing to bear a little pain, I wholeheartedly recommend it!’

Weight Loss

As time wears on, however, Starr’s weight loss due to lack of appetite (possibly caused by the Crohn’s disease but oddly never confirmed) causes him to hit a major stumbling block. As may be obvious by the book’s publication, the swim was completed - during the 2012 Olympic Games no less - but in a very different fashion than the one first envisaged.True to form though, Starr manages to turn a negative into a positive, and ends the book on a successful, ever-optimistic. Having emphasised just how difficult the Channel swim can be, and how reliant all Channel swimmers are on each other, not to mention their boat pilots, the weather, their crew and, of course, their health, it is easy to see why so many fail to complete the challenge.

Kindness

Luckily, Starr’s fortune fared well in the end, and he goes to great lengths to highlight the dedication and kindness shown by not only his fellow swimmers, but the individuals and organisations involved in the Starr Trust, which was able to grant over £75,000 to various causes thanks to his and others’ efforts.He goes on to hint at an even greater fundraising challenge, as well as plans to build a multi-million pound performing arts centre in his home city of Hove. Starr quotes Henry Ford as saying ‘Whether you think you can or you think you can’t - you’re right.’ It’s pretty easy to see which one he went for.From Starr To Starrfish is published by Book Guild Publishing and available on Amazon for £14.50.