Story
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; background: white;"><strong><span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; color: #1c1c1c; font-size: 14pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">JCB NSPCC Channel Swim Challenge</span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; background: white;"><strong><span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; color: #1c1c1c; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; background: white;"><strong><span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; color: #1c1c1c; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">THE CHALLENGE – as a team to swim the distance of the English Channel</span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; background: white;"><strong><span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; color: #1c1c1c; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; background: white;"><strong><span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; color: #1c1c1c; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">MY CHALLENGE – to swim 1 mile of this without drowning</span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; background: white;"><strong><span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; color: #1c1c1c; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; background: white;"><strong><span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; color: #1c1c1c; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">THE CHARITY – we are raising much needed funds for the </span></strong><strong style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; color: #2f2f2f; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">NSPCC "Reaching Out For Children in Staffordshire" Appeal</span></strong><strong></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; background: white;"><strong><span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; color: #1c1c1c; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></strong></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; background: white;"><strong><span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; color: #1c1c1c; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">What are we doing?</span></strong><span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; color: #1c1c1c; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; color: #2f2f2f; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">On Sunday 11 March 2012 a team of JCB employees will swim the equivalent of Shakespeare Beach, Dover to Cap Gris Nez, France.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whilst the actual distance in land miles for the Channel Swim is 21 miles, the true swimming distance (allowing for tides and shipping) is 22 miles which for pool challenges is 1416 lengths of a standard 25m pool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; color: #2f2f2f; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">The team have also registered to take part in the London 2012 Gold Challenge and in addition to the 1416 lengths the team will swim a further 596 lengths making a grand total of 2012 lengths.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; color: black; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; background: white;"><strong><span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; color: #1c1c1c; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Why are we doing it?</span></strong><span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; color: #1c1c1c; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; color: #2f2f2f; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">All the money raised will go to the NSPCC "Reaching Out For Children in Staffordshire" Appeal which JCB is supporting as a company.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The appeal is enabling the NSPCC to purchase and refurbish a building in Newcastle Under Lyme which will help vulnerable young people at risk of cruelty. New innovative services will help children whose lives have been harmed by sexual abuse, neglect or physical abuse, as well vulnerable children aged under one. The NSPCC team will also work in partnership with local authorities to help children who are in their care. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>JCB is a global company but its heart and roots are here in Staffordshire. This appeal reaches out directly to vulnerable children in Staffordshire.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; color: #2f2f2f; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; background: white;"><strong><span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; color: #1c1c1c; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;">Why am I doing it?</span></strong><span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; color: #1c1c1c; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; color: #2f2f2f; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Now that is a very good question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I saw that volunteers were required for this challenge I thought long and hard about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whilst many of you know that I am a competent runner, you may not know that I am a very weak swimmer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As an asthma sufferer I find the breathing technique incredibly difficult (even when I run I have a tendency to forget to breathe).</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;"><span style="font-family: &amp;quot;Times New Roman&amp;quot;,&amp;quot;serif&amp;quot;; color: #2f2f2f; font-size: 10pt; mso-fareast-font-family: 'Times New Roman'; mso-ansi-language: EN; mso-fareast-language: EN-GB; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Not one to shy away from a challenge I signed up and have had my first swimming lesson.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am attempting to swim 1 mile which equates to 64 lengths.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am currently up to 20 lengths so I still have some work to do.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a massive personal challenge for me as it means removing myself from my comfort zone of running and learning a whole new sporting discipline.</span></p>