Go here to follow the blog and keep up with the story, as it happens! https://shadowstepper4.wixsite.com/mtm19

In the meantime here is my backstory and the bio for the whole mission.

26 years old and a distance swimmer, specialising in the 1500m freestyle (I know, I'm mad!). After making my comeback to the sport at the tender young age of 20, I committed myself to trying to achieve a dream I'd had ever since I was a County Champs hopeful at 12 - To try and make it as a professional athlete. Now I'll be the first to admit that I got carried away with my ambition, and as is all too often the case I failed to make it a reality and so had to square up to that inevitable reality of growing up, getting a job and moving on with my life. Thus, so it was that in 2017 with university and adulthood looming, I scraped and saved and made my way to Budapest for the World Masters Championships, for one last big event before hanging up my goggles for good. Unbeknown to me however, when I got up on the blocks and went out for my last ever races I wasn't just doing well, I was coming in at the top! With a 14th place in the 400m free, and a narrowly missed chance at a top 5 spot for the 800m free (cyber attacks and flight cancellations and so on) all of a sudden I got a taste of what it could be like to be one of the best in the world (relatively speaking) at what I love, and I wanted more.

So now I'm back at it again! Having just finished my first year of a Bsc Biomedical Science Degree at University Of Birmingham, and more importantly my first year as a member of the Uni Swim Team, I've got my sights set on the Gwanju World Champs 2019 and a place on the podium! I can't do it alone though and I need your help to make this dream a reality. South Korea is a long way from home, and between the hard-work of my coaches and I getting me fit and ready and the commitments of my degree course I can only raise so much on my own. At the end of next year I'll be moving on to either a work placement or my third and final year of study (worth 75% of the whole degree!) so won't be able to train the same way, maybe ever again. This is truly my last chance to make a dream a reality.

I know times are tight for us all in the struggle to make ends meet, but whatever you can give is gratefully received and every little helps! I'll be keeping a blog of training over the year so you can all follow along with the work and the training I'll be doing to back up your donations, and posting all races and results along the way.

I gave up too soon and came back too late to make it to the Olympics, but this story is not over yet, and with your help and support I can send off my swimming career with a world-class bang, and make proud everyone who has helped me along the way. Including you.

I'll see you in the pool!