Story
About
From August 2018 to August 2019, you will mostly find us under water… swimming in various lakes, pools and coastlines around the UK to raise vital funds for the Motor Neurone Disease (MND) Association.
MND is a rapidly progressing disease that affects the nervous system and impacts on people's ability to walk, communicate, swallow and breathe. There is still no cure for this disease, with average life expectancy ranging from 6 months to five years from onset of symptoms.
Emily's dad, Richard, was diagnosed with MND last August and sadly passed away from the disease on the 6th of July 2019. The MND Association helped tremendously in providing advice, education, healthcare and support throughout Richard's illness.
However, funds are still critically needed to further support research into new treatments in the future, as well as provide financial help to individuals and their families affected by the disease now. Shockingly, there is currently only one drug available for MND, which extends life for only 2-3 months. It would be amazing if, in our lifetimes, a cure is found.
Event details
As Richard was a keen outdoor swimmer, we wanted to follow in his footsteps and do something that will really challenge our commitment to the cause! That’s why we’ve decided to take part in an outdoor swimming event each month over the course of a year with the aim of swimming 20,000m in total.
So far we have completed the following swims:
August:
21st Aug: 1.6km: under looming skyscrapers in the Canary Wharf Mile Swim
September:
9th Sept: 1.5km: dodging the canoes in Fritton Lake, Norfolk
21st Sept: 500m: the official Motor Neurone Disease swim at Royal Victoria Docks
October:
30th Oct: 200m: spooky night-time halloween dip in the docklands
November:
3rd Nov: 600m: two loops around the beautiful Bray Lake course in Maidenhead
December:
1st Dec: 200m: one loop around Hampstead Ladies Ponds
15th Dec: 100m: back in the ponds for another freezing dip
28th Dec: 25m: blowing off the cobwebs on our favourite beach in Walberswick, Suffolk
January:
26th Jan: 30m: A relay event dressed as squids at the Tooting Lido UK Winter Championships
February:
17th Feb: A freezing, frosty morning swimming off all the birthday cake from Laura's birthday! 100m: one loop around Hampstead Ladies Ponds
March:
29th Mar: A stark contrast to all of our other swims so far, we had enough of Brexit and went tropical in Singapore for our March swim.
April:
20th April: Back in Suffolk, this time in Dunwich to swim off all the Easter eggs! It was a beautiful day but very chilly still in the sea!
May:
6th May: A chilly bank holiday morning at Parliament Hill Lido, we completed just over 600m (10 lengths of the lido) A mild 12 degrees but felt like 4!
June:
22nd June: Took part in the Great East Swim in Ipswich, it was a beautiful day and such a well organised event! Laura swam one mile and Emily swam half a mile.
July:
21st July: Swam the Big Splash in Stoke Newington, the water temperature was 20 degrees which felt fantastic in comparison to earlier swims!
We would be so appreciative if you can donate to this wonderful charity, and we’ll do our best to stay on target throughout the year.
Additionally, we would love for as many people to take part in this as possible, so if you fancy joining one of the swims throughout the year and doing some fundraising of your own, then get in touch with us and we’ll let you know our schedule!
Finally, please show your support and follow us on Instagram at @swim_for_mnd and we promise to update you regularly with silly pictures of us in wetsuits and hats, and generally looking cold.
THANK YOU.
Much love and gratitude,
Em and Laura