In September 2026, I’ll be part of a six-person relay team running 87 miles from Marble Arch to Dover, swimming 21 miles from England to France, and cycling 181 miles from Calais to the Arc de Triomphe.

But why?!

In summer 2019, I took on a huge personal challenge to raise money for the spinal injury charity, Aspire: I swam the English Channel as part of a five-person relay team, the ‘Aspire Panthers’. Going from someone who had never swum in the sea (and was – ok, still is – terrified of sharks) to taking on the 21 miles of the Channel was the journey of a lifetime.

Two years later, the restyled ‘Aspire McPanthers’ decided to take on Loch Lomond – 23 miles of cold, deep and dark Scottish water. After succumbing to a shoulder injury, but not wanting to miss all the fun, I decided to race my team along the shore instead. I hobbled the 33 hilly miles due to a poorly timed broken toe, but I managed it (needless to say, I did not win that race!). One thought kept me going when I wanted to give up: despite my broken toe, I still had the ability to walk, and I was raising money so Aspire could support people who did not.

If you know me at all, you’ll know that the minute I complete one foolish plan, I’ll think up another that’s even bigger, even better and even less achievable. And so the idea of doing the Arch 2 Arc triathlon was born!

In September 2026, our six-person relay team (the 'Aspire Narwhals') will run, swim and cycle nearly 300 miles from London to Paris, each of us taking an hour at a time in rotation. The swim is Channel rules again (no wetsuits!), and I haven’t cycled since running late to lectures at university, so wish me luck! It feels like a mammoth undertaking. Probably because it is. But once again, I’m doing it for a fantastic cause.

Aspire is a charity that hopes you’ve never heard of it. Every four hours, someone in the UK is paralysed. It can happen to anyone at any time and changes lives in an instant. Aspire is there to support the 40,000 people living with a spinal cord injury in the UK – whether through awarding grants for invaluable equipment, providing short-term fully accessible properties or giving advice on welfare benefits. In short, Aspire works tirelessly to give those who have suffered spinal cord injury the support they need to live an independent life again.

As a team, we are aiming to raise £30,000 for Aspire. Your support and any donations are hugely appreciated. They will make a real and immediate difference to the lives of those affected by spinal cord injury. And for my part, they’ll encourage me to keep training – to run through the heatwaves, swim laps of Dover Harbour and stop avoiding the uphills on my bike!