"Most dogs will paddle and splash in the water, and yet when Poppy was one year old, she would not venture anywhere near or even think about getting in the water. Until one day, when she was playing with another labrador, she followed them into the water, and that was it, shes not looked back since. Every week Bryan takes her swimming at the Cotswold water park, all year round, you can see them both swimming around the 750-metre course at Lake 32. Poppy wears a buoyancy aid, mainly because if she gets into any difficulty she will not sink; also the useful handle on her back is perfect when you need to hold her back from racing into the water too quickly."

You can read more about Poppy's swim last year here.

Poppy will be swimming a mile in the Thames for SwimTayka. Come and watch her swim and join in all the fun at the Outdoor Swimmer Henley Swim Festival. You can also sponsor Poppy's swim and donate here.

By sponsoring Poppy, your donation will go towards SwimTayka's mission in teaching life skills in swimming and clean water stewardship in disadvantaged areas around the world. These communities will benefit from clean water education, as we are nurturing a generation of world citizens who will act as environmental stewards who love, care for and respect the life-giving rivers, lakes and oceans along which they live.

Drowning is a silent epidemic that claims over 360,000 lives every year, these lives are largely preventable. With over half of these deaths being under the age of 25, your donation contributes to less fatalities each year.