After being diagnosed with Atrial Fibrillation (AF), it lead to a sudden change in my life. I stepped back from full-time ministry due to the fatigue and inability to recover quickly from busy days and to reduce stress in my life. As I could not take the basic medication for AF, it was the only thing I felt I could do to help myself. Nevertheless, as the risk was my 'heart', I found it was a diagnosis that took a while to get my head around, worrying what it would mean to me on a day-to-day basis. I understood it to be progressive in nature - so amongst other things, questioning what the future might hold.

Then last year, I was invited to the Summer Solstice Swim run by Ice Warriors at Welton Waters. A dawn swim introduced me to the wonders of open water swimming and I have not looked back since, as I surprised myself by managing to swim throughout the winter in waters approaching zero in temperature. It is exhilarating and was good for both my physical (great for the back) and mental health. I have always been able to swim, but typically up to about 30 lengths in the pool. Suddenly I found my swimming much longer distances......

Still the Humber Swim is anywhere from 1.5km to 4km and tidal, far beyond what I have previously swim and the temperature will be chilly as I will be doing ti without a wetsuit! I have thought maybe I might attempt it in 2-3 years time, until I was challenged this year with it.

I wanted to take on on the Humber Swim challenge as not only a personal challenge, but in particular to raise funds for Humber Rescue, the volunteer lifeboat service that protects one of the UK’s most dangerous estuaries.

Living in Barton, I am distinctly aware that there are so many people that take their lives from the bridge and Humber Rescue get called out for in the search for the jumpers - yet this is just one of the many things they do.

Please support me in raising money for Humber Rescue. I’d be so grateful if you could support me by donating, sharing my page, or even just sending words of encouragement. Every penny I raise will help keep their crew trained, equipped, and ready to respond to emergencies 24/7.

Thank you for helping Humber Rescue continue their life-saving work and encouraging me to reach a personal challenge! 😁