Thank you for visiting my fundraising page. My name's Husnara and I developed severe Rheumatoid Arthritis aged 9. Living with this horrid chronic condition means my joints function at below 50 per cent and I wake up most mornings in excruciating pain. Though my rehabilitation has included hydrotherapy, I've never learnt to swim - mostly because my limited neck movement makes it almost impossible for me to keep my face out of the water. Notwithstanding such a challenge, as a teenager I represented my secondary school in a swimming gala and proudly won a medal for completing the width of a pool, albeit in arm bands. 

Fast forward 30-odd years and I'm keen to have another go and this time raise money for Versus Arthritis (UK's largest charity dedicated to supporting people with arthritis). But rather than swimming the width of a pool, I'm aiming to do a full length (in arm bands!). 

This is a really big deal for me as I am genuinely terrified of the deep end of a swimming pool because my feet don't touch the ground. What's more, owing to the Covid-19 pandemic I've not swam for almost two years and suffice to say my beloved arm bands are now covered in dust!

Thank you in advance for your support.

Husnara 
xxx