At the ripe old age of 42, I need a challenge. And as a life-long swimmer, there really isn't any greater challenge than swimming the English Channel. Fewer people have successful swum the Channel than have climbed Mount Everest.

I'll be taking this on as part of a team of six, swimming in turns from Dover to Calais in July 2024.

But this isn't just for me, I'll be doing this to support people around the world get better access to life-saving skills and help prevent drowning.

Drowning claims 360,000 lives annually, many of them children. It's the 3rd leading cause of unintentional injury death worldwide, representing preventable losses. SwimTayka's mission: give disadvantaged communities access to swimming teachers, providing life skills and creating a legacy for today's children to teach the next generation, making a lasting difference in children's lives and their communities.

The first £750 I raise will go towards the cost of the event, which includes safety equipment, boat and pilot. I've also committed around £500 myself towards costs. Everything else I raise goes towards SwimTayka's mission.

I'll be doing plenty of training, so if you want to see me put in the work, head on over to Strava (https://www.strava.com/athletes/39123063) and give me some kudos (or some grief, whichever you prefer).