In the last few years of his life, my wonderful dad was diagnosed with Alzheimer's - a sad and debilitating disease that he found upsetting and difficult to deal with. It was heartbreaking for us to watch him disappear slowly into a haze of confusion. He was an articulate communicator both in person and through his prolific letter writing to his friends & family all over the world. Alzheimer's robbed him of these abilities - which was a great loss to him and to all those who loved him. I still miss him everyday and training for this swim is a way to keep his memory alive.

Much more needs to be done to understand dementia and to support those who have it and their carers. Research into a cure for dementia is desperately underfunded despite the high numbers of people affected. Although dementia mainly affects older people, it is not a normal part of ageing and about 50 million people globally have dementia, and there are nearly 10 million new cases every year.

This year, I'm swimming a mile in the Serpentine in Hyde Park - braving the duck shit! - to raise funds in memory of my dear father for the Alzheimer's Society who are doing great work to both support people affected by dementia as well as investing in research for treatment and a cure.

PLEASE SPONSOR ME!!! THANK YOU FOR ANY DONATION - HOWEVER SMALL - IT ALL COUNTS!