Hi, I’m David Roche, an Australian and British open-water enthusiast (living in London). In 2003 the team at The National Hospital for Neurology & Neurosurgery in Queen Square, London, saved my life after a brain haemorrhage. Twenty-two years on, I’m fortunate to be able to take on three of the iconic Oceans Seven swims: the Strait of Gibraltar, the English Channel and California’s Catalina Channel - to give back to the hospital and the charity that supports it, The National Brain Appeal.

Swimming

I turned to open water swimming as part of my recovery after my brain haemorrhage that left me in a medically-induced coma and diagnosed with epilepsy. Thanks to the extraordinary skill and compassion of the neurology and nursing teams at Queen Square, I survived and got back in the water, swimming with Red Top Swim / @RedTopPerformance, an internationally acclaimed open water swim club.

Supported by Red Top founder Tim Denyer and his team, I’ve taken on some big swims, including English Channel relays, the Strait of Bonifacio Crossing, Jersey to France with coach Nils Young and other significant swims. My goal now for 2025 has been to complete 3 of the Oceans Seven:

• April 2025: ✅ 14.4 km Strait of Gibraltar between Spain and Morocco 4:37 hours

• August 2025 ✅: 33.5 km English Channel between England and France 11:10 hours

• October 2025: ✅ 32.3 km Catalina Channel between Catalina Island and Southern California 10:31 hours

Tim was aboard Viking Princess II guiding me across the English Channel. Coach Matt Duggan supported me across Catalina on Bottom Scratcher!

These are solo swims (without a wetsuit) but very much a team effort. Every swim is a privilege.

Photos with coaches Tim Denyer at Matt Duggan (Red Top Swim)

My Charity

Thank you (and to my family, friends, Riverview school mates, university friends and work colleagues) for your support.

The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery is the UK’s largest specialist centre for neurological care. Your donation will help its charity, The National Brain Appeal, to transform lives, including:

• Advance treatment for epilepsy, stroke, brain tumours and countless other conditions.

• Upgrade intensive-care facilities - like the one that saved me.

• Support world-class research at the UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology.

Thanks for donating what you can – any amount helps.

Once you donate, JustGiving will send your money directly to the charity.