On 7 August 2017, I will be swimming in the COSMIC Rays team across the English Channel, in aid of Children of St Mary’s Intensive Care (COSMIC) charity. 

The Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) is a national and internationally renowned centre for treating children with life-threatening conditions. Every year the unit admits around 400 critically ill children and many lives are saved. The unit founded 25 years ago by Dr Parviz Habibi is now being expanded to accommodate 15 beds.

I will swim without wetsuits, possibly overnight in pitch black darkness, and in the cold sea that is a bone chilling 16 degrees, which will happen between the 7-14 August.

This is a bit of a diversion for me. Many have sponsored me for running marathons over the  years and often in support of COSMIC. A few months ago when COSMIC asked if I would be interested in joining their Channel Swim team I just couldn't say no. An amazing challenge and am amazing charity. Emma has been great too, just when she was thinking i would stop going our running every weekend morning, I'm now going out swimming every weekend morning. It's as much a challenge for her as for me!

I started my training in pools, then on to the sun-kissed beaches of the Costa Brava in Spain and now have progressed into the Channel itself. This morning I swam my qualification swim of 2 hours in sub-16 degree water along the coast at Bournemouth. It was hard work, but it's out of the way now and I must keep training to ready myself the real challenge.

My target is to raise £2500, so please help me do this for such wonderful cause. The PICU that Dr Habibi set up quite simply saves childres lives and the support COSMIC provides both to the PICU and to the parents of the children being treated cannot be understated.

Dr Parviz Habibi said:

"We are training two relay teams (COSMIC Rays). Each person will swim for an hour at a time handing over to the next swimmer until the team reaches France. Please help us achieve our target of £12k per team, which will go towards supporting families of critically ill the unit.  Children are our future! Help us save more lives!"

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