Matthew Botterman

Making Waves for Taylor Made Dreams

Fundraising for Taylor Made Dreams
£1,285
raised of £10,000 target
Solo English Channel Swim, 10 July 2025
Taylor Made Dreams

Verified by JustGiving

RCN 1158174
We enable dreams of life limited children to emotionally support their journey

Story

What am I doing and why am I doing it?

The English Channel is a 21miles stretch of cold, tidal water and is one of the busiest shipping routes in the world. Swimming it is widely considered the Mount Everest of the swimming world and in-fact far more people have reached the top the of the mountain than have competed the swim.

At the start of July, I will attempt to add my name to that list in aid of the fantastic and highly deserved charity - Taylor Made Dreams.

Taylor-Made Dream support children with life limiting illness and their families in the South East of the UK, achieve their personal "Bucket List". This could be toys, experiences, a holiday or meeting a celebrity. They also support the families and those left behind with counselling, on-going support, and a range of memories and keepsakes.

Sadly, our health and those of our loved ones is never guaranteed. However, I cannot imagine how a charity could do more to help families at the most difficult of times.

The Journey!

So, about the swim - I will leave from the beaches of Dover and hope to walk out of the sea on the beach at Wissant, 13 hours later. During this time there will be no resting, no touching the boat, anything that floats or any person. If I'm not swimming, I will be treading water next to my support boat.

The water is likely to be 15-16C in July. To put that into context, your local indoor pool is likely to around 25-28C. In short it's going to be cold. There are no wetsuits allowed for this swim - It's a Speedo, a thin rubber hat and a set of goggles!

On the way, in addition to the swimming and the cold, I will encounter waves, huge container ships, maybe a little sewage, saltwater rubs and likely a few stinging jellyfish. It's also likely that I will start swimming in the dark!

I am not an elite swimmer. However, I do like a bit of suffering, and this is going to be a big day, and likely the biggest challenge I have ever undertaken. This challenge is nothing however, in comparison to what the families involved with the charity face.

With that in mind, if anyone would like to support, it would be hugely impactful for the families and will certainly help drive me through some of the hard moments.

I will be funding the entire swim myself. The boat, licenses, medicals and invigilation are not inconsiderable. Importantly this means every penny you give will go directly to the charity where it will have the most effect, so please give generously.

If you need any more incentive, I am open to any ideas you have that would open your wallets.

Want me to suffer in an Ice Bath for an extended period of time? - Donate and let me know - I'll send you the video!

Want to suggest a nasty training set? Donate and let me know - Ill send you the results.

Want your name or company logo on my back? Donate and let me know.

For more info check out:

www.taylormadedreams.org.uk

www.channelswimmingassociation.com

or keep an eye out here on social media!

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About the charity

Taylor Made Dreams

Verified by JustGiving

RCN 1158174
Taylor Made Dreams enables children with life limiting illnesses to achieve their dreams through multiple services: Bucket list wishes, holistic therapy, counselling, travel grants, medical sheepskin fleeces, photo experiences, dragonfly pendant, sibling support service and a technology library.

Donation summary

Total raised
£1,285.00
+ £321.25 Gift Aid
Online donations
£1,285.00
Offline donations
£0.00

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