I'm terrified of open water. The sea scares me and lakes leave me panic-stricken. As a child, I used to look beneath and behind me even in swimming pools, just in case there was a monster ready to pull me under! As an adult, I've managed to accept the safety of swimming pools but still can't get to grips with the idea of not knowing what's underneath me when in open water. It's a fear I've always wanted to face and when I found out about The London Classics, I knew this was my chance.

The London Classics are a set of three events that make up a triathlon but take place on different days, months and sometimes different years. They can be completed in any order. In 2018, I completed Ride London - a 100 mile bike ride and in 2019, I completed The London Marathon. In 2020 I was hoping to enter Swim Serpentine (a 2 mile swim in Hyde Park's Serpentine Lake) but wasn't able due to Covid-19 and being pregnant.  

I gave birth in February this year and conquering the Swim Serpentine in September will help me achieve four goals:

- Overcoming my fear of open water.

- Completing the London Classics (and receiving a big shiny medal on top of the medal for the swim). 

- Hopefully losing some of the baby weight before our wedding in May 2022.

- Most importantly, raising awareness of and money for the charity '4Louis' who support families through miscarriage, stillbirth and baby loss.

4Louis is a charity close to my heart. Before we were lucky enough to get pregnant with our beautiful daughter, Indigo, my partner Adam and I sadly experienced two miscarriages. The first was a 'missed miscarriage' which required medical management in hospital. While there, we received some beautiful items that were provided by 4Louis. We were given a memory box to hold keepsakes such as scans and pregnancy tests. We were also given a casket called a burial bed, which enabled us to take our baby (who we named Fox) home in a dignified way. We then planted the burial bed under a cherry blossom tree at home. These unexpected but much appreciated items made our devastating experience that little bit easier and helped us to acknowledge the life that we had lost. I can only imagine the heartache of stillbirth and baby loss and want to help 4Louis in their essential work supporting parents enduring such pain. 

4Louis provide useful tools, equipment and training free of charge to hospital units, hospices and other professionals who sadly have the job of comforting grieving families who suffer miscarriage, stillbirth, neonatal or child death. They provide memory boxes, bereavement rooms, photography equipment, burial beds, moses baskets/angel pockets and cuddle cots/blankets. For further information, please visit their website www.4louis.co.uk

I started my training back in June this year, 4 months after giving birth. I have been focusing mainly on getting used to being in open water and now with a month to go, I need to get my fitness levels up in a pool. I couldn't have done any of the open water training sessions without my brilliant friend Fee who is completing the 1 mile swim on the day (there is the option to swim 1 or 2 miles but The London Classics can only be gained with the 2 mile swim). Fee was already an open water swimmer and her friendship and support has kept me going when I didn't want to go and was panicking in the water. We've been swimming nearly every week and we have 4 more weeks to go. We've had a lorra laughs, been thundered off, swam with swans and taken ridiculous selfies. We can do this!!

Thanks to my lovely Adam for encouraging me to go for it even though I was terrified and for being such a brilliant Dad to Indigo that I felt able to leave her to do my training, even though it was hard to tear myself away!

I ran The London Marathon not long after losing Fox and I will be swimming the Serpentine for Pearl, the baby we lost last year. Indigo will be watching on with Adam and my Step-daughter Sofia.

Thanks for your support,

Sue xxx

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