My amazing friend Emma who has had multiple spinal surgeries herself is doing the Aspire channel swim challenge. This involves swimming the distance of the channel over 12 weeks to raise money for Aspire, a charity which provides practical help to people who have been paralysed by spinal cord injury. Every eight hours someone is paralysed by a Spinal Cord Injury and Aspire provides the essential equipment, advice, housing and grants that spinal cord injured people need to live their lives independently.

I think that Emma could achieve anything and would be able to do this on her own. In a moment of madness however, I agreed to support her in this challenge. I mean, who could be more helpful, than a pregnant woman who hasn't done any exercise for a decade?? 

At the start of the challenge I'll be 19 weeks, so please support me generously to spur me on to complete this quickly before I become the size of a whale.

This is a big challenge, but the more I raise, the more of a difference I'll make, so please be generous!