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 11^th 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 1400^th 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.