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Thanks for taking the time to visit my Just Giving page.   I’d like you to join me in supporting British Skin Foundations biggest ever swimming event and help raise vital funds for research into  childrens skin diseases.   I’m planning to swim the distance across the English Channel over a week, in a 25m pool. 35.4km, 1416 lengths, 7 days, however I want to see how much of this I can do in the first day.   I’ve always dreamed of swimming the Channel, but for various reasons I’ve found myself going in circles. One of these is a skin condition I’ve suffered with since my teens, an incurable problem called Hidradenitis Suppurativa. It has dotted my adult life with enforced time out, though it does give me time to learn things like access and excel and knock out some useful documents. But I completely understand the life changing impact skin conditions can have, more information can be found out about HS and others on the British Association of Dermatologists website:   <a href="http://www.bad.org.uk/site/825/Default.aspx">http://www.bad.org.uk/site/825/Default.aspx</a>   The main picture displayed shows the results of extensive surgery I’ve undergone over the last year with the aim to rid me of this problem for good. 9 months of time out before and after 4 operations, but thanks to the outstanding skills show by a team of surgeons from Leeds and Wharfedale Hospitals, lead by Mr Griffiths, I’m able to look forward to achieving a few of those dreams which had been on hold.   Swimming the English Channel is no small feat, completing the distance in a pool is no comparison; but after only a few months back on my feet I hope you’ll support me swimming my way a few strokes closer to getting there, and help all those who will benefit from this research, reach their potential.   All sponsorship money raised will go towards the British Skin Foundation Children's Fund for research into all skin diseases that affect children.   The BSF Children's Fund   Millions of children in the UK live with some form of skin condition. With up to one in five children in the UK suffering from eczema, something needs to be done. The BSF Children's Fund was set up because we wanted to address the fact that there needs to be more research into childhood skin diseases.   Just Giving   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.   Day 1:    After months of work I was prepared, and fuelled by a giant meal laid on by my kind mother I was ready, but it’s amazing how potent the cold from a one year old can be, thanks Minnel, and the first hurdle was laid! But if she could run around it wasn’t going to stop me, and I managed 9km in the first day, crawling to the end, literally! How can my knees hurt in water, they didn’t even need to take my weight?!   Times (mm:ss:ms)   1km       23:01:62 2km       22:39:06 3km       22:30:52 4km       23:48:19 5km       23:43:27 6km       22:55:25 7km       27:38:14 8km       22:15:00 9km       25:08:88   Day 2:   Ouch. And the weathers terrible today, sea would be awful ;)   Day3:   Well the rest seems to have worked, the colds gone and it’s amazing what you learn long distance. My arm hurt because of using it wrong in the turns, my back hurt as I was twisting in the turns and my knees hurt because i was a bit enthusiastic pushing off for so many turns, but now i'm feeling strong and today it came together just right, though maybe only doing 4km helped :) we’ll see tomorrow...   10km     22:48:39 11km     22:41:70 12km     22:39:71 13km     22:55:31   Day 4:   A few more k complete, can’t wait until I’m doing this in the sea though, gets a bit repetitive going up and down a pool 200 times. I think patience is the hardest bit to this, I’d rather just go all out but then it’s so much harder getting to the end!   14km     22:18:84 15km     21:37:77 16km     19:27:50 17km     21:17:69 18km     21:52:76   Day 5:   19km     22:58:08 20km     23:09:30 21km     24:02:98   Day 6:   Decisions decisions, I wanted to leave a decent swim until the end, 7k today and the same tomorrow, or 5 today and ten tomorrow… well after 3k in the water the challenge for tomorrow is set, 11.4km in one go! At least I’ve xmas dinner to look forward to when i've finished, couldnt have timed this any better!   22km     21:35:19 23km     24:30:20 24km     22:04:01   Day 7:   I did it <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J   It was nearly down to the line though, with some last minute shopping required I didn’t get into the pool until midday, and with closing at 6 I knew it was going to be the biggest swim of the week. After 5 hours though I emerged, tired, chaffed, hungry… but victorious <span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;"><span style="font-family: Wingdings; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-char-type: symbol; mso-symbol-font-family: Wingdings;">J let the festivities commence!   25.4km 33:37:18 26.4km 24:13:94 27.4km 23:06:57 28.4km 23:17:41 30.4km 55:17:87 31.4km 25:48:19 32.4km 23:39:19 34.4km 49:39:62 35.4km 24:39:62   I’d like to say may thanks to all those who supported me during this endeavour, Kelly and Bevis from the BSF who helped with every request I came up with, the staff at Wharfedale Hospital who let me advertise the event there and made me well enough to fulfil this, along with all those who sponsored the event – it’s your help that has made an impact to the lives of those who follow us into this world. The swim is now done, but the work to help those suffering with skin diseases will not cease, and the path you have helped lay will forever continue to be of benefit.     Please watch this space, health permitting I’ll be back again next year, trying to complete the same distance in a single day; and raise more funds for research into children’s skin diseases.

Simon's Big Swim Challenge 2011

Simon's Big Swim Challenge 2011

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