Over the next 12 weeks I'll be swimming 22 miles across the English Channel to raise money for people who have been paralysed by Spinal Cord Injury.

Think about it like this that's 1416 laps of my local pool.  In 12 weeks that means I'll be swimming 22 miles (and around 118 laps per week).  So if you want to sponsor me 50p a mile that's £11, and 1p a lap is £14.16 - but even £2 will help.  Please donate anything you can, and with uk gift aid, the charity gets more!

To add to my personal challenge, I am NOT a morning person, and I intend to do the bulk of my swimming before breakfast each day.  Oh, and did I mention I don't really like swimming or exercise?  In fact, I have a bit of a water phobia.  As a kid, one of the "cool kids" pushed me under at the local pool, and I never really got over the feeling that I was about to drown.  So, I didn't actually learn to swim (and then quite badly) till I was in my 20s.  I'm still no fan of open water swimming, so while this may not be the same as ACTUALLY swimming the channel, it's a big personal challenge to someone who's barely graduated from doggy paddle.

Every eight hours someone is paralysed by Spinal Cord Injury. It can happen to anyone at any time, and there is currently no cure. Every pound that I raise means that Aspire can provide practical help to a spinal injured person, allowing them to live a more independent life, so please donate as much as you can and help make a difference.  You never know when you, or someone you know might want their help.