In July 2025, I will be swimming the English Channel in a relay to celebrate 150 years of channel swimming and raise money for Aspire.

Aspire is an amazing UK based charity who support people with spinal injury (https://www.aspire.org.uk). Please give as much or as little as you can give to support this great cause.

While my years of swimming in a pool have somewhat prepared me for this, as many of you know my speedos have been hung up and dry for many years. This swim will provide a whole new set of challenges…setting off in the dark from the rocky shores on the UK, swimming through jelly fish and shipping channels, frigid sea temperatures, and an unknown level of sea sickness.

Rest assured that all your donations are going to support Aspire in their work! Whilst Aspire will pay the cost of the of the event through donations raised, our relay team has pledged to donate & personally to cover the costs of the swim and the boat hire.

Thank you for your donations.

Joe Patching

Relay Team members = Andrew Flaherty, Chris Grey, Fiona Martin, and Zosia Di Lieto