On 7th September 2021 I completed an English Channel Swim in a time of 13 hours and 42 minutes.

The whole venture was quite the journey! Long training swims, cold water acclimatisation, getting used to feeding on the go, chafing, salt water mouth, sun protection! Fitting in training alongside a full time job with long hours was not easy. I ended up renting a room in Dover for 3 months and training whenever I could.

The day was unbelievably hard, more than I imagined! Starting at midnight due to the tides, the first half was in the dark and felt pretty chilly! But it was calm. The second half was a different story. The tides pulled me away from the closest point to France and I had to swim longer to reach the shore. There is a point at the end of the swim when you are completely exhausted when you have to swim though a difficult current near the French shore. It almost finished me off! It was a really dark time. I kept going because if I didn't finish it, I would have to go back another day to finish the job. And i just couldn't bear the thought!

This is definitely not a solo sport! So much help is needed along the way, advice from trainers, fellow swimmers, family and friends. The open water swimming community is a wonderful and friendly one. Could not have done it without support from family and friends throughout training and on the day. I have met many new and special people from the very welcoming town of Dover, and many international friends - people travel from all over the world to swim the channel.

Swimming to me is an essential skill for life, being able to swim may one day save your life or someone else's. Swimming is an excellent sport for health, good for those of all ages, and kind on your joints!

Following my swim I would therefore like to raise money for our local community open air pool in Cirencester. It is 150 years old and a community facility for all and run entirely by volunteers. The current fundraising project is for a disabled access hoist, and there are many more initiatives in the pipeline to continue to make this a wonderful spot to relax meet friends, keep fit and swim, accessible to all.

I am very grateful for your donation, many thanks indeed!