I DID IT!! Thank you so much to everyone who donated to this wonderful cause - I was astounded by the support and it certainly spurred me on on the day. The team has raised almost £8000 and we are all delighted. THANK YOU.

I lost my dear Mum and best friend, Margaret Gascoyne, to cancer in December 2012 and I'm doing this swim in memory of her and to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. Macmillan provided invaluable support, expertise and kindness to my Mum and my family at a most difficult time, as they do for so many families across the UK.

Like all cancer charities, they are absolutely vital and they rely on donations and sponsorship of ill-advised sporting attempts signed up for after a few too many glasses of Sauvignon Blanc ...

Which brings me onto the challenge ... Along with 4 intrepid friends - Hamish Moseley, James Whittingham, Carlos Oliveira and Will Moult - I will be swimming two miles open water across Lake Windermere on 13th June.

Two miles might not sound like too much BUT consider these points:

- it is in WATER

- the water is very COLD

- it is in water surrounded by fields of sheep and cows (think of the DROPPINGS!)

- Apparently there are EELS too

- DAVINA McCALL only managed 1.5 miles in said Lake before being hauled out at breaking point

Combine all of the above with my long-standing fear of SHARKS - this is an actual condition called selachophobia which means that I envisage JAWS constantly when training in my local pool - and you'll see that this is up there with your average Iron Man attempt. The fact that a Great White has never been spotted in Cumbrian waters is immaterial.

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING!

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