24k swim to raise 1k to celebrate 10 years of the Wave Project surf therapy programme.

So what’s the Challenge ?

On the 19th July 2025 we are going to swim 24 kilometres along the Oulanariver in Finland. Due to the remoteness of the challenge, we have to swim in pairs and take mandatory survival equipment in case we get lost as there are some sections that need to be covered on foot through forests inhabited by wolves and bears!

We aim to complete this in about 8 hours.

We hope to raise £1,000 for the Isle of Wight Wave Project so that ALL money raised will stay on the Island.

Thank you for taking the time to read this and for your support over the last 10 years…. Let’s make it another 10 :)

This is all self funded so ALL money raised is for the IOW Wave Project.

My Story

2015 was turning point me, not just how I can support the hospital where I work but also the local community. As someone who has loved the sea from my early childhood, when the Wave Project was pitched to me, it ticked all the right boxes.

In the early stages securing NHS funding was key and the IOW NHS was there to support. Since then, the project has grown and runs fully funded surf-therapy courses for 80 new Island children each year, and additionally has a busy and active surf-club for children who graduate from the Wave Project with a new-found love of the sea.

The local Wave Project is also one of a few Adaptive Surfing Hubs, supporting people with disabilities (adults and children) to surf. You may remember in 2024 I raised £5k which meant we could buy a special beach wheelchair which has enabled us to assist Access to the sea in a safe and dignified way for adaptive surfers and swimmers.

Funding is a challenge for all charities, but thanks to the continuous hard work of fundraising volunteers and the generosity of local businesses and supporters such as WightAid and the National Lottery, we have been able to positively impact the lives over 600 local children to date.

As some of you may know, Katie and I like a challenge. We wanted a challenge that reflects the everyday challenges faced by the kids through their lives and equally when they bravely step out their comfort zone to try surf therapy for the first time. We are nervous and apprehensive as we have never swum for this long in such a remote place.

10 years is an amazing achievement but charities in general have to work hard, year on year, to continue to support life changing work in their local communities. The Wave Project is unique in its approach - harnessing the power of community and the sea to improve the mental health and wellbeing of children. The benefits of the project are felt by everyone involved; the young people who take part, the volunteers, the parents/carers and schools, and the project takes some pressure off services for children. Everyone wins and lives are truly changed for the better.

Please sponsor us so the Wave Project can continue all the wonderful things it has achieved for our island’s children for the next 10 years and beyond.