I have been challenged by a friend to swim 34km (22 miles) - the equivalent of swimming the Channel - over Lent.  

My goal is to beat not only my friend, but also Yvetta Hlavacova, whose female solo cross-Channel record has stood since 2006.  

Her time was 7 hours, 25 minutes and 15 seconds.

Hers may have been an endurance swim, battling wind, waves and watercraft, but she didn't have to out-manoeuvre lane-hogs or execute a tumble turn every 50m.   I'll post updates so you can check my progress.  

I am raising money for the Minstead Trust, a wonderful charity based in Hampshire which supports people with learning disabilities to live fulfilled lives as independently as possible. They provide training in work skills, life skills and health and wellbeing.

If, through your sponsorship, we could raise £1,000, you could help someone with a learning disability to attend a 12 week course, as part of the Minstead Trust Step Up for Work programme in either Portsmouth or the New Forest.  The full programme means that people who have learning disabilities can gain the skills and confidence to be work-ready and take up meaningful employment.  It is a purely voluntary funded programme: without donations,  the Minstead Trust would not have been able to help people like Rhianne (who now works in a restaurant at Paulton's Park) and Bob (who is a store person assistant at Milestone) into paid employment.  You can read more about them and the Step Up to Work programme on the Minstead Trust website.

As well as wanting to support the Minstead Trust I also need to prove to one of my doubting future sons-in-law (who shall remain anonymous, Joe) that I don't belong in the slow lane!

Thank you for your support.