I'm raising £1,000 for One Trust an adult learning disability support provider based in Wandsworth, London.

Swimming the Solent – Why Not?

This summer I’ll be taking on a challenge that seemed like a perfectly sensible idea when I signed up: swimming the Solent.

On 25 July 2026, I’ll be joining the Solent Swim, crossing from Hurst Castle on the mainland to Colwell Bay on the Isle of Wight — a distance of roughly 2.5 kilometres of open water. It’s a fantastic event organised by the West Wight Sports & Community Centre, and I’m delighted to have secured a place after more than 60 people applied for a limited number of spots.

Training in Some “Bracing” Water

Preparation is already underway. Much of my training takes place at Tooting Bec Lido, where I’ve been swimming throughout the winter.

For those unfamiliar with it, Tooting Bec Lido is the largest freshwater swimming pool in the UK, and it’s open to swimmers all year round. Winter swimming there is often described as “refreshing”, which is a polite way of saying that the water has dropped to as low as 1.5°C during some of my training sessions.

The good news is that if you can persuade yourself to get into water that cold before sunrise in South London, the Solent in July suddenly starts to sound quite tropical.

Why This Swim Matters to Me

I’m using this challenge to raise funds for One Trust.

One Trust is a fantastic charity, supporting adults with profound and multiple learning disabilities and their families in Wandsworth, London.

Being able to support the One Trust community through this challenge, feels like a very fitting way to give something back.

The Goal

Between now and July there’s plenty of training ahead — pool miles, open-water practice, and mandatory safety sessions — all building towards that moment of setting off from Hurst Castle and (hopefully) arriving in Colwell Bay a little while later.

If you’d like to support the challenge and help raise funds for One Trust, I’d be hugely grateful.

With a bit of training, a fair tide, and hopefully fewer jellyfish than expected, I'm looking forward to being able to say, "I swam the Solent".