Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.

Why 22 miles? It is the equivalent of swimming the English Channel- no mean feat! It will be a challenge for any able bodied swimmer, let alone me- a disabled participant who just one year ago could only swim 4 lengths of a pool, with 2 swimming aid 'woggles' and a person to help me! Just last month, I refused the one I had got used to and swam on my own- a whole 10 lengths, building up to 20, and now to 30. I do this once, sometimes twice a week- my partner did the maths last night and we have realised that I will have to swim 3 times a week at 50 lengths a go to achieve this goal- yikes!

I want to give a little bit of a back story as to why I'm doing this and why setting myself this almighty challenge will be one of the biggest I have had to face and overcome to date.....

Firstly- Diabetes UK are an amazing charity and organisation, money raised will go into vital research to help people like me and I have to tell you that their social platform sites such as Facebook has been invaluable to me over the last few years- with help, tips, advice, and support readily available. Due to having a rare autonomic disorder, I have insulin resistance and reactive hypoglycaemia. My sister has type 1 Diabetes. Both of us have been significantly poorly because of this, at worst I was in a hypoglycaemic coma 2 years ago, and I now have significant nerve damage as a consequence of my illness. ALL money raised will go into research that will help to better understand why our bodies do not work properly, how it can be supported so we can lead safe and fulfilling lives- and potentially find a cure. 

Secondly- this will be the biggest thing my body has had to endure in terms of stamina and strength. EVER. 4 years ago this month I suffered serious ill health- my body started to shut down and I was in hospital for months. I had to learn to walk, talk and move. I was wheelchair bound but then progressed from a walking frame to crutches, in that time I was lucky enough to receive 16 weeks of hydrotherapy which was absolutely life changing! I had started in the pool at the hospital in Feb 2014 being hoisted in, having to have 2 therapists, ankle weights, 2 body support swim aids and a neck brace. I had lost all ability to swim or to even float.

In May 2014 after 2 days of prolonged fits and seizures, my lungs collapsed and I was put into a coma and on life support, I remained in Intensive care for a week and a further month on a Neurological ward. I was back to the beginning- and had to re-learn everything all over again. I would not go back to a pool until 18 months later in January 2016- when I gingerly attempted those 4 small lengths, came home and slept for 3 hours afterwards!!

My body is a marvel, it is broken, but it is mighty. There is so much I can not do physically, I can not walk far, I can not run with others or complete obstacle courses for charity (they look SO fun!), but I CAN attempt to do this. Besides, I'm now a student at Exeter University studying Sports and Exercise Science, surrounded by elite athletes and I've got to have SOMETHING I can be good at right!?

Why 'So Phia-less' you might ask? Well, my real name is Sophia and before I became ill I was training in a sport called Roller Derby- So Phia-less is my alter ego as thats how I like to face life, and health and any obstacles that stand in my way!

Thankyou for stopping by, for reading my epic 'about me' piece (!), and for donating to a very worthy cause- it means the absolute world to me :-)