From Rooftops to Open Seas: Scott Miles’ Charity Channel Swim

Scott Miles, owner of Scott Miles Roofing, accomplished an incredible feat—he swam the English Channel, raising £1,550 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation in support of children with critical illnesses.

We sat down with Scott for a brief interview to learn more about his experience and to ask whether any lessons from the challenge have influenced how he runs his business.

“Anything in life is achievable with the right grit and determination.” – Scott Miles

What inspired you to take on the challenge of swimming the English Channel?

“As a child, I enjoyed swimming and swam competitively, but stopped at 17 years old. In January 2016 I stared swimming again and entered the Bournemouth Pier to Pier which is one of Europe’s biggest open water swimming events. This gave me something to aim for, along with my Son’s wedding which was also coming up at the time.  He did the swim with me, this helped us both get in shape for the wedding! A friend of mine was also the inspiration, he had done the Channel swim before and after talking to him about it I thought it would be a fantastic thing to be able to do. He was swimming the Channel again that year with his team Ocean Commotion. Unfortunately, 3 members had to pull out due to COVID, and therefore, they were looking for others to join them. During lockdown, when you could exercise with one other person, I started to train with my friend and joined the team”

Can you take us through the day of the swim? What were the conditions like?

The swim on the day started at midnight.  The conditions were dark, cold and fairly choppy. Those conditions did improve with a slight raise of sea temperature over the duration of the swim. In general, the conditions were moderate, and they were the best we could have hoped for on the day”

What was going through your mind when you first stepped into the water?

“It was very cold! Also, to keep swimming and not let people down. Also, memories of people who had passed and who we were doing this for. I had lost a friend before who I was thinking of throughout. I decided to raise money for the Make a Wish charity”

How long did it take you to complete the swim?

“We swam in sessions and switched out.  The men did 3 sessions each which were 1 hour long and the women did 2 sessions each which were 1 hour long. In total, we covered 14 hours and 20 minutes, a combined team effort. Due to COVID rules, only 1 swimmer was allowed to swim the final leg and land on the shores of France. I was given the honour of swimming the final leg and reached the shores of France.  We were welcomed by a French crowd that was shouting and cheering us on, and the atmosphere was amazing! The Channel swimming tradition is that the team all swim to the shore and collect a pebble from the beach that they keep in memory of completing the swim. I made sure to collect a pebble for everyone so that we could all have a memento of our achievement that year. I was very conscious of losing one on the swim back to the boat and the team, fortunately, I managed to get them all back safely!”

What was it like reaching the shore on the other side?

“It was physically and emotionally one of the best achievements of my life, it was incredible!”

Were there any moments when you felt like giving up? How did you push through?

“No, they were not, giving up was not on my agenda.  I had no intentions of letting my team down.”

How did you feel in the hours and days after completing the swim?

“I was elated and delighted with the amount of support given and donations received.  I myself raised £1,550 which was donated to Make a Wish. I donated the money in memory of my friend, originally I had set a target of £300 so this was more than I ever imagined I would be able to raise. I was informed that the money I raised was able to send a young lad to meet Tim Peakes the Astronaut who was his hero.  His family wrote to me after to thank me personally which was incredibly special. This has inspired me to carry on with my sea swimming.”

Do you think your experience as a roofer helped you with the discipline and endurance needed for the swim?

“I think that being in a role where you are in a fit and active work environment helped, along with the encouragement I received from fellow roofers and the people that we work with, definitely helped.”

What was the first thing you did once you got back on land?

“Celebratory drinks with the team! We now meet every year on the date of the swim to get together and remember what we achieved together.  Something that I really look forward to.”