Story
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<p style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial; color: purple; font-size: 16pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>** The Swim **</span></strong><span style="color: purple; font-size: 16pt;"></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; tab-stops: 72.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: purple;">I did it. I did it (with just a bit of help)</span><span style="color: purple;"></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; tab-stops: 72.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: purple;">Hazel my swimming instructor would be swimming with me -<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the weather was perfect - the Royal Victoria Docks was as still as a mill pond. We arrived early and watched at the Start as other swimmers set off to swim the mile. We then walked to the swim village to eat a light carbohydrate meal - a band was playing and everyone was in high spirits. The changing room was a hub of laughter and noise. We changed into swim outfits and pulled the wetsuits on - but only as far as our waists - you only pull the top on just before the swim. </span><span style="color: purple;"></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; tab-stops: 72.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: purple;">Swimming had started at 7.30 am when swimmers enter the water in groups of about 300. The time of our swim was 2.35pm and I had been issued with a pink swim hat with No 6120 - the colours of the hat changed with each group of swimmers. Next, the ankle timers that we had been issued with were checked, before directing us to an area of the Docks which had been sectioned off for everyone to get acclimatized to the water with a quick practise swim - BRRR. At this point they realised I would have a problem with the slope getting into the water and so my pink hat was swapped for a green one - this identified me as someone needing assistance.</span><span style="color: purple;"></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; tab-stops: 72.0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: purple;">Now we were really getting close to swim time - a quick pep talk and some warm-up exercises to the sound of ‘heavy metal’ and then we were off - 299 pink and 1 green hat approached the water where your individual timing would start. We had decided to let most of the swimmers go before us. I had viewed the course, checked the water temperature and was ready. Two lovely young men assisted me down the steep ramp and leaving the cheering relatives, I was swimming. </span><span style="color: purple;"></span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; tab-stops: 72.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: purple;"><span style="font-size: small;">I was really enjoying the challenge when disaster struck! I got dreadful indigestion! <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I stopped swimming, paddled slowly and after a large burp was able to carry on. But unfortunately the indigestion just kept coming back, slowing me down and sapping my energy. I had swam more than half way but had been in the water 1 ½ hours when I was forced to give in.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was hauled into a boat and wrapped in a blanket. I got the medal and the tee shirt and although it didn’t finish quite as I expected - it was still a truly exhilarating experience. </span></span></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; tab-stops: 72.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: purple;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thank you</span></span></p>
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<p style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: purple;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sandra</span></span></p>
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<p style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; vertical-align: baseline; mso-line-height-alt: 14.25pt;"><strong><span style="font-family: Arial; color: navy; font-size: 16pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>** The Challenge **</span></strong><span style="font-size: 16pt;"></span></p>
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<p style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page. I'm taking part in the British Gas 1 mile open water challenge in the London Royal Docks on 2nd July raising money for the<span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span><a href="http://www.surrey-ms.org/"><span style="mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; border: windowtext 1pt; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: small;">Sutton & Croydon Multiple Sclerosis Therapy Centre</span></span></a><span style="font-size: small;">. My centre offers fantastic support & care for over 250 people that suffer, like me, from MS. Our centre is a registered charity relying only on private donations. We must raise £120,000 per year to keep offering this much needed help to many people.</span></span></p>
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<p style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">I have been attending the centre for 12 years and in doing this challenge - it really will be a challenge ! . . . but it will give me the opportunity to help the centre to continue as I cannot put into words how much the centre has meant to me and to all the people who attend there.</span></span></p>
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<p style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;">18 months ago I joined my local WI swimming group, where I met Hazel Ralph our swimming instructor. Her encouragement and training has really kept me focussed.<span style="mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; border: windowtext 1pt; padding: 0cm;"> <span class="apple-converted-space"> </span></span>Just putting the wet suit on is a real workout and with 2 of us pulling, tugging and laughing we keep anybody watching amused for ages.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black;"><span style="font-size: small;"> <em><strong><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; border: windowtext 1pt; padding: 0cm;"> </span></strong></em> </span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; border: windowtext 1pt; padding: 0cm;"><a title="British Gas Great Swim website" href="http://www.greatswim.org/Events/British-Gas-Great-London-Swim/Default.aspx" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">British Gas Great Swim website</span></a><br /><span style="font-size: small;">.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; border: windowtext 1pt; padding: 0cm;"><a title="1st Training swim with my new wetsuit 12th March" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5raVSWkXsOc" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">1st Training swim with my new wetsuit 12th March</span></a></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: Arial; color: black; mso-border-alt: none windowtext 0cm; border: windowtext 1pt; padding: 0cm;"><span style="font-size: small;">.<br /></span><a title="Sandra's 2nd training session with the new wetsuit" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRfzhbJ-Ejc" target="_blank"><span style="font-size: small;">More work to do swimming with a wetsuit<br /></span></a><span style="font-size: small;">.</span></span></p>
<p style="line-height: 14.25pt; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; vertical-align: baseline;"><a title="Last minute training with Hazel Ralph 18th June" href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w59rvm2SzO4&feature=channel_video_title" target="_blank"><span style="font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><span style="font-size: small;">Last minute training with Hazel Ralph 18th June</span></span></a></p>
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