Raised: 120%
Target: £1,000.00
Raised so far: £1,200.00
Donate now

My story

 

Thank you for visiting my fundraising page. Please dig deep and sponsor me online.

At the end of the summer last year I decided that I would try to do the greatest open water swim in the world. Knowing a couple of people who had done it previously I was under no illusions of how challenging it would be. My training started in September 2007 and took me through rain, sleet and snow swimming at least every Sunday morning at 7.30am in the sea right through the winter. From April 2008 I stepped my training up to two then three times a week in the sea as well as pool work. Swimming with the Hythe Masters club helped me build my speed up and improve my stroke. From May onwards I trained in Dover harbour every weekend with fantastic support from Frieda and the gang. The guys on the beach at Dover are amazing and have such compassion for the sport. Dover swims were very hard and I built up to back to back 7hr swims over my weekends with countless 6 hr swims. All of this training did pay off though!

On the 11th of September 2008 I set off from Shakespeare beach in Dover at approximately 8.45pm and swam through the night towards France. With approx 25 friends and family there to see me off I had many positive thoughts as I quickly realised the task ahead of me. After 11 hrs and 51mins I climbed onto a French beach just south of Cape Gris-Nez. All of my training had paid off and I had completed the hardest open water swim in the world and became approx the 1400th person to do this in the world.

 
I couldn’t have done this without the support of my friends, swim coaches and most important my parents and brother. Many thanks to everyone!!


I have funded  the swim myself but feel that it is a good opportunity to raise some money for charity. I am raising money for ‘Demelza House’ Children's Hospice near Sittingbourne. Opening its doors to the first children in 1998 Demelza is an organisation providing hospice care for over 450 children with life-limiting illnesses and their families across Kent, East Sussex and South London. For more information about Demelza visit http://www.demelzahouse.org/

Raised Offline:
Thank you to Crest Engineering in Marden Kent, for a very generous donation of £100 and to Ken and Lesley (friends of my family) donating £20.


Donating through this site is simple, fast and totally secure. It is also the most efficient way to sponsor me: Demelza, Hospice Care for Children will receive your money faster and, if you are a UK taxpayer, an extra 28% in tax will be added to your gift at no cost to you.

So please sponsor me now!

Many thanks for your support.

Congratulations Greg it is the most amazing accomplishment Donation by Debbie Spaniak 29/10/08  

£17.00 + £4.79 Gift Aid

Good effort Greg. Well done Donation by Allison Sulliven 29/10/08  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

very well done Donation by Eunice Featherstone 28/10/08  

£30.00 + £8.46 Gift Aid

Well done, Greg. A terrific effort! Donation by Mr M Wood 09/10/08  

£15.00 + £4.23 Gift Aid

Worth every penny, just to watch your Dad re-live the numerous ‘honking up’ memories of your epic swim. Priceless.... Congrats !! Donation by Simon Barnes 26/09/08  

£5.00 + £1.41 Gift Aid

Very well done. Your now one of the few. Donation by Glad 21/09/08  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Well deserved and a good time. Donation by Hythe Aqua - Masters Club 18/09/08  

£100.00 + £28.21 Gift Aid

Congratulations greg really good effort Donation by Susie Wigham 17/09/08  

£5.00 + £1.41 Gift Aid

Really well done Greg. Donation by Iris and Den 17/09/08  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Fantastique! It was all those 25 metre sprints at Masters that made all the difference. Well done! Donation by David Staveley 17/09/08  

£25.00 + £7.05 Gift Aid

Well done on your fantastic achievement! We raised a bit of money at a recent golf event I would like to donate it to this worthy cause. Donation by Brian and friends 17/09/08  

£35.00

Well done, glad all the hardwork paid off Donation by Trisha, Mandy, Jo and the admin gang 14/09/08  

£21.00 + £5.92 Gift Aid

saw your poster at hythe pool and wanted to support you well done greg Donation by leigh cavanagh 14/09/08  

£5.00 + £1.41 Gift Aid

Congratulations greg - Well done! Donation by Katie 14/09/08  

£5.00 + £1.41 Gift Aid

Well done mate. Donation by Matt Walker 12/09/08  

£15.00 + £4.23 Gift Aid

In my usual style I've left this to the last minute... at this point you're probably metres from the French shoreline! Yeah boi!! Donation by Jon Ritchie 12/09/08  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

best of luck mate Donation by Craig Hutchins 11/09/08  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

best of luck Donation by Graham Ling 10/09/08  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Good Luck Donation by James McAuley 26/08/08  

£50.00 + £14.10 Gift Aid

Good luck Greg Donation by Pat & Geoff 24/08/08  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

Good luck chief, many, many beers to be had in the near future!! Donation by Aaron (Occasional house mate) 22/08/08  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Good Luck. What an an achievement, absolutely amazing. Donation by Jo Lee-Wharton 21/08/08  

£15.00 + £4.23 Gift Aid

Well done you, I think its amazing what your doing xx Donation by Hayley 20/08/08  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Best of luck! x Donation by Vicky 20/08/08  

£10.00 + £2.82 Gift Aid

Bon Voyage and safe landings Donation by philamonica 16/08/08  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

GO BEEFCAKE! Huge amounts of luck. X Donation by Sinead 15/08/08  

£15.00 + £4.23 Gift Aid

best you keep up the training, sometime there is a world record for usI'll provide penguin bars Donation by zimhippo 14/08/08  

£20.00 + £5.64 Gift Aid

He who dares Rodders....! x Donation by Jiella & Gary 12/08/08  

£30.00 + £8.46 Gift Aid

Good luck Donation by WI Friends 12/08/08  

£31.00 + £8.74 Gift Aid

Best of luck Donation by Paul & Sue 11/08/08  

£20.00
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* Total raised online: £1,080.00
  Offline donations: £120.00
  Gift Aid plus supplement: £289.10

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