Hof der dingen - The bathing suit of Haïke De Vlieger

“My children always say: Mom, you trained so hard for it, and you did it. That’s so remarkable – you should be more proud of that accomplishment. And well, yes, maybe I really should be more proud of it.” 

With the characteristic modesty of a typical West Flemish person, Haïke De Vlieger – mom to three wonderful children – is talking about her major achievement: swimming across the English Channel. 

She’s always been a true daughter of the sea – with salt water running through her veins. “As a child, I grew up in Ostend and I was absolutely besotted by the sea. When I was a lifeguard for five years, I got to know the sea and its dangers better. When I was traveling throughout the country for my education as a child psychiatrist, I really missed the sea and my connection to it. I sailed around the world from 2009 to 2012 and felt that passion to be in and surrounded by the water return. Time and time again, I was impressed by the beauty and force of nature. 

When I turned 50, I was looking for a challenge and thought to myself: what about swimming across the English Channel? I wasn’t allowed to wear a wetsuit, only one bathing suit and one swim cap – even though two would have been better. My starting point was in England en due to the strong current at Cap Gris Nez, I had to take a detour of two hours to Wissant. At a certain moment, I saw England behind me and France in front of me – and didn’t dare to think too long about the fact that I was surrounded by only water. But that’s, of course, the intriguing part. When you’re at sea, the only thing you can think about is swimming – not your grocery list. 

The worst enemy of athletes who swim across the English Channel? The freezing cold. But when I started training, I joined “De Zwammadammen’ – a club of lovely ladies who love swimming in the sea. Pure fun. That’s how I learned to enjoy the cold. 

When I achieved my goal, they told me that I was only the third Belgian woman to have ever swum across the English Channel successfully – the last time a Belgian woman succeeded in the task was 30 years before my attempt.

I didn’t realise that beforehand. My thought process was: “If I don’t make it, at least I’ve tried”.