EMBARKING on a sea voyage from Padstow to Rock, the Launceston-based Jo Downs Glass Design team was delighted to come away with their own trophy.

On Saturday, August 5, a team of 22 took part in the Padstow to Rock swim, representing Jo Downs Glass Design.

Also entering a ‘corporate team’ for the first time this year, the group was delighted to hear they had beaten long-standing winners Padstow Brewery to the prize of a fused glass trophy they had made and donated.

Jo and her corporate team were delighted to win. She said: “This is the first time we have entered a corporate team and we were amazed when we beat Padstow Brewery — they win pretty much every time. We won the trophy we made, which was a bit weird actually.”

Jo said of the experience: “I have to say it was very choppy. I prefer open swimming in the sea to swimming in a pool but even I, as a seasoned swimmer, found it really hard.”

She joked: “In the end it became more about survival and just making it to the end than the competition. Like, I wasn’t even thinking about the competition side of things, I was more concerned that I was going to die — that panic attack feeling was starting to come over me, and that was only after about 50 meters.

“But, in the end, we all got over and so did I after I had a little word with myself and told myself I can do this!”

Jo said her favourite part of the race was getting to see people who swam when they were younger getting back into the sport. She said: “I was once like that. I think I started swimming when I was in my twenties but didn’t take it up again until my kids got into it. I then taught myself to swim and have been training at Launceston swimming pool — who I sponsor — once a week.”

Jo said people have been asking her why her team takes on such a grueling challenge. She said: “Well, it seemed like a good idea at the time. Many of them have said I am just very persuasive and have made them do it, but I don’t believe that! In all seriousness though we have managed to raise a lot of money through this for Marie Curie and that is great, they are such a worthwhile charity who do such good work and all the money raised will go back to Cornwall to Marie Curie services here.”

Jo said that the fundraising was what kept her going throughout the race. She said: “I think the last third was the part everyone found quite hard. You have to get from one slipway to another and although we had a really lovely day for it the sea conditions were rough.

“I’d recently found out that for every £20 you raise for Marie Curie that is one hour of care — that gave the fundraising a perspective for me and kept me going through the race.”

The Jo Downs team has been raising money for Marie Curie through a JustGiving page and a series of raffles held across their scores, where an item of fused glass is raffled, with tickets priced at £1.

So far Jo believes their running total is over £4,000.

There is still time to donate. To support their cause visit the website www.justgiving.com/companyteams/JoDowns and donate to a specific individual listed on the team.