Thanks for taking the time to visit my Just Giving page.

Setting up my page is the first real step I have taken to achieving my goal of raising £15,000 for an extremely worthwhile cause. Please take time to visit Suzette's website to learn more about her hard work and absolute unfaltering commitment to helping others. I don't ever recall meeting somebody in my lifetime who has sacrificed so much to help others that at first they do not even know. Please help me to raise some monies to allow Suzette to continue her outstanding work.(www.cherished-memories.co.uk)

I am training for my swim at present and will in time set up a blog for you to follow my progress. To motivate me in my early morning swims alone in the cold water, I would dearly love to see some money go into the pot to get me started on my way to raising an incredible sum of money for Cherished Memories. Please consider the extraordinary nature of my challenge and the effort I am more than happy to put in to make this crossing. I am giving up so much including valuable time with my young family to achieve my goals, please help me raise my target sum.

Update: 20/09/11.

I am really pleased to announce that Fiona and I have been blessed with a second child, she was born 21/07/11 and we have called her Poppy. Needless to say training has been shelved while I concentrate on family and supporting Fiona. As a result it has been decided that a postponement for the swim date will need to be made to ensure I can be 100% ready. The swim will be undertaken in August 2013 instead of 2012. Sorry for any disappointment caused but given the scale of the task and also the financial and logistical aspect of the swim it is important to remain realistic to ensure I am successful.

In its place I intend to continue my hard work by entering two separate Ironman competitions next year, the first will be at Wimbleball Lake in June, it will be the infamous 70.3 which is regarded as the toughest course in the world (I will vouch for that from this year’s experience!) and then onto the full distance at Pembrokeshire, Wales in September. This event is a full Ironman distance sea swim off the welsh coast followed by Welsh coastal hills for 120 miles of cycling finishing up with a hilly full 26.2 marathon. The training for these two events will be able to be more accessible for me which will ensure I can also be a Daddy as well as carrying on with my training to reach the end goal of swimming onto French soil.

Thank you to everyone who has donated to date, it really means a lot to me and to Cherished Memories.

Simon