The following news item was the lead story on Page 1 of the Blue Mountains Gazette on July 11, a couple of days before Geoff, Annette, Brett and Larissa flew out to the UK. It is reproduced here from their on-line edition which can be read HERE. Evans has been misspelt throughout but has been left as it was originally printed in the newspaper.

Troubled waters: Warrimoo resident and Penrith Swimming Club member Geoff Evans is preparing to tackle the English Channel.

Geoff Evans's trip to France is every traveller's worst nightmare: a gruelling journey filled with bitter weather and bad food.

But the 44-year-old Warrimoo resident wouldn't have it any other way.

On July 20 Geoff is scheduled to battle hours of chilly waters and burning muscles after setting off on an epic swim across the English Channel.

Accompanied in an escort vessel by his wife Annette, two children and an official observer from the Channel Swimming Association (CSA), Geoff will swim more than 32 kilometres on a diet consisting mainly of "protein goo" mixed with water and high protein/carbohydrate milkshakes.

The distance could increase considerably depending on the temperamental tide, which may push him even further along the coast.

His desire to conquer the Strait of Dover is fuelled by a simple "because it's there" mentality, and having been preparing for the endurance feat over the past 14 months he's feeling up to the challenge.

In training Geoff has averaged 25km of swimming a week, sometimes in temperatures as low as 11 degrees Celsius. On one particular occasion he left the Nepean River feeling hypothermic.

"I guess it's a pretty big thing," said a somewhat modest Geoff.

"But a lot of swimmers could do it if they just put their mind to it.

"I'm feeling real confident I'm going to make it."

According to the governing body of channel swimming, however, the odds are anything but in Geoff's favour.

Since the first-ever swim from England to France in 1875, the CSA has authenticated a further 748 solo attempts. Only 18 per cent of those swimming under the non-profit organisation's stringent guidelines manage to complete the journey.

In the water Geoff cannot use thermal protection of any kind to combat the 14 degrees Celsius chill and so has fought to pile on the kilos as a natural defence.

Amid the many other rules he must comply with, Geoff cannot touch the boat or another person during the challenge.

So vigorously upheld are the guidelines that when Geoff requires sustenance Annette must lob him bottles tied to pieces of string and dangle cups of chocolate cubes attached to the end of a stick.

"I didn't put a lot of deep thinking into the swim when I first decided I would do it," said Geoff.

"Then it started to scare the hell out of me. I told more and more people I was going to attempt the Channel swim just so I wouldn't back out.

"There're enough warnings about this and you don't want to be too cocky. You need to give the swim the respect it deserves."

The Evan family are no strangers to tests of endurance. Geoff is long-time member of Penrith Swimming club and has competed in a number of triathlons and marathons.

His 20-year-old son Brett was a member of the Australian Open Water squad and toured New Zealand with the NSW team. Seventeen-year-old daughter Larissa was a contender in the Nationals and has accrued a number of Open Water victories.

Both Geoff's children will join him in the Channel swim at designated one hour intervals.

Making the monumental task a family affair seemed fitting, Geoff said, since he never would have considered the Channel swim if it wasn't for his children.

"My kids were doing cold water training in the Nepean River and we came across this fellow . . . who was doing the same thing - except it was in preparation to swim the English Channel," said Geoff.

"When I told my wife I wanted to give the Channel a go, she said she had always wanted to holiday in Europe."

While Geoff has been allotted an eight day window to complete the swim, there is a small chance he may return home without getting his feet wet.

It's a gloomy possibility he hasn't invested any energy into. Especially when there are future conquests to consider.

"A Kiwi mate suggested I should swim between the islands," he said.

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea."