Sarah-Jane's Team Channel Swim
Sarah-Jane Garside is raising money for Aspire
Story
On the 8th of October 2017 at 2pm, the Redingensians Sirens ran out onto the pitch at Old Bath Road to play their first league game of the season against Bracknell RFC.
Every single one of the girls was a combination of excitement, adrenaline and pure nerves. We all knew that Bracknell were a formidable team having played them previously, but we were all geared up and ready to attack the next 70 minutes with all our heart and soul.
Sadly, with only minutes left on the clock, the game took a turn for the worst. Dani Watts, our number 7, took a tackle off the ball, and was left so badly injured, that she was ultimately left paralysed from the navel downwards.
Dani has spent the last 57 days at The John Radcliffe Hospital where she had major spinal surgery. Her determination and resilience during the last 5 weeks has been astounding, awe inspiring and also humbling.
The prognosis is unclear, but Dani has been sailing through her Physiotherapy programme, getting stronger and more independent every day, challenging not only her body and mind, but also her physiotherapists, as it appears that they are struggling to find things to do with her anymore!
A couple of days after Dani's Injury, I was sitting at my desk, wondering what I could do to help raise money for who have had spinal cord injuries.
I took to google, and came upon Aspire.
"Aspire is a national charity that provides practical help to people who have been paralysed by Spinal Cord Injury; it can happen to anyone at any time and no one is prepared for how it will change their life.
Aspire exists because there is currently no cure. Through its projects and programmes, Aspire offers practical support to the 40,000 people living with a spinal cord injury in the UK so that they can lead fulfilled and independent lives in their homes, with their families, in work places and in leisure time".
Aspire run a lot of Fundraising events throughout the year, but the one that peaked my interest is a Team Relay Channel Swim. Covering the 22 miles between England and France, as a team of 6 swimmers rotating hourly.
My provisional date for the crossing is the 28th of July 2018!