Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I am going to swim in the British Gas Great London Swim at the Victoria Docklands on July the 3^rd to try and raise money for a charity that is important to me.   

I am really looking forward to this event; and as crazy as diving into the Thames for a one mile swim is..... I am really doing this because I have my legs back!

In May 2008 I developed an auto-immune condition called Henoch-Schonlein Purpura (HSP).  This caused a horrible looking rash all over my legs for the better part of a year and a half!  Frankly it was really embarrassing, and stopped me from swimming—an activity I really love. 

The rash was one thing—but discovering that this condition also caused me to have some kidney damage did worry me.  There is little known about auto-immune disorders; especially ones like HSP or other forms of vasculitis that also attack vital organs like the kidneys.  I will never really know what caused me to get ill. 

Kidney Research UK helps scientists by funding research that look at these conditions.  As well they support people who have been much worse off than me who needed far more kidney treatment.

Thankfully I have had no relapses in over a year now... and that I have avoided any serious long term treatments.  I have now signed up for this swim and have started the training to help me reach my goal of swimming one mile in less than 60 minutes.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity and make sure Gift Aid is reclaimed on every eligible donation by a UK taxpayer. So it’s the most efficient way to donate - I raise more, whilst saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

So please dig deep and donate now.

Big Thanks-- I will keep you all posted here about my training and progress as July 3rd approaches