I've seldom missed an opportunity to swim - usually in warm coastal waters on beach holidays around the globe. I've had no intention of braving the cold UK waters, until, in a wine weakened state, caving in to family pressure to enter The Bantham Swoosh on 6th July. I managed to secure one of the last remaining tickets, a precondition of which was to raise funds for a very worthy cause.

It's a 6km estuary swim to the sea and starts near the village of Aveton Gifford, where the community really relies on their open air community pool, not least to teach their kids to swim. It’s attached to the school, and used for primary school swim lessons as well as open for village use. It’s a much loved facility that now needs to be self-supporting and Swoosh fundraisers over the past several years have paid for all kinds of repairs and maintenance. This year they need a new winter cover, plastic treads, an expensive new pool liner and the list goes on.

Any small contribution you're able to make will go a long way to sustaining this village asset for many years to come. Beholding my neoprene clad awkwardness in a wetsuit at 6am will sustain my fellow swimmers for just a few hours. Thanks very much in advance!