A 67-Year-Old Swam to France, Bumped Into a Floating Pallet and Kept Going

Salima Bouayad Agha turned 67 on 2 October. The next day, at about 3:45 a.m. French time, she entered the water at Dover. She reached Sangatte, near Calais, just under 15 hours later.¹² She swam under traditional Channel rules: swimsuit, cap, earplugs and grease. No wetsuit, no fins.¹

According to French press reports, including The Connexion, that makes her the oldest Frenchwoman to swim the Channel.¹³ The Connexion also reports that she is the second-oldest woman in the world to do it, after Linda Ashmore, who crossed at 71 years and 305 days in 2018.¹

Bouayad Agha teaches economics at Le Mans University and once swam for Algeria’s national team.¹⁴ She swam in memory of her late mother, raising money for France Parkinson, a charity that supports people with Parkinson’s disease and funds research.¹

Three cancellations, then a birthday go-ahead

She trained for three years, swimming in the pool several times a week and watching her diet closely.¹² Then came the part no pool can train you for: waiting on Channel weather.

She arrived in Dover on 30 August for a swim window of 4 to 8 September. Weather called it off. A second attempt, set for 14 September, was scrapped two days ahead. A third was cancelled four hours before the start.¹

In Channel swimming, the boat pilot decides when a swim goes ahead. She worried that missing the season would push her back to 2029 for a pilot slot, so she asked again. She was offered 3 October, and the final go-ahead came on the evening of her birthday.¹²

Ferries, currents and one floating pallet

The Connexion puts the straight-line crossing at 34km. France 3 reports that she swam about 40km.¹² A pilot, a co-pilot, an official observer from the Channel swimming federation, an English friend and a professional swim support assistant went with her.¹

She dealt with waves, strong currents, seasickness, stomach pains and passing ferries. She also collided with a floating pallet. Jellyfish kept her company, but none of them stung her, which is about the most anyone can ask of a jellyfish.¹

“It wasn’t easy for me, as I’m still a pool swimmer at heart, and the sun didn’t come out,” she said, as quoted by The Connexion from Ouest-France.¹

After landing, she said she had had heart surgery in June, four months before the swim. France 3 also mentions a shoulder operation.¹² Her advice to others was simple: “Go and see your cardiologist for regular check-ups,” she said.¹

What readers can take from her swim

• Big goals need a long runway. Her crossing took just under 15 hours, but the preparation took three years of regular pool sessions and careful eating.¹²
• A setback is not always a final answer. After three cancellations, she went back to the pilot and asked for another date. She got one.¹
• A reason helps. She swam for her mother and for Parkinson’s research, and she plans to keep swimming for causes she cares about, namely Parkinson’s disease and healthy aging.¹²
• Keep up with check-ups. Her health advice to others was to see a cardiologist regularly.¹

What comes next

France 3 reported that she planned to swim the “Calais to Cap” in mid-October after a check-up with her sports cardiologist.² On 24 October, she is scheduled to talk about the crossing at the “Savourez votre retraite” (“Savor your retirement”) fair in Le Mans.¹