Thank you for visiting my page! I'm swimming for the ADHD & Neurodiversity Foundation because they bring awareness & education about Neurodiversity to the places that need it most and the impact of their work is huge. They are silently saving lives every day, for example 1 in 4 women with ADHD will attempt suicide and people with undiagnosed ADHD have a far shorter life expectancy than a neurotypical person. With diagnosis, education, relevant support and sometimes medication, quality of life & life expectancy can be hugely improved.

I was diagnosed with ADHD by the foundation in 2021 after my son’s diagnosis and it turned my life around for the better. One of the most tangible elements of change was that I was able to adapt my training plan for my channel swim to my ADHD brain. I also understand how my brain is different to the one I thought I had and make the most of my strengths. Swimming up and down a pool for miles is not a strength of mine and nor is sticking to a routine, but playfulness and adventure are and I’ve managed to incorporate both in to my training. Michael Phelps has ADHD by the way; he also has size 14 feet, a bit of an unfair advantage compared with my size 3 and a halfs!

About the swim:

When is it?

I have a date of a tide (7-12 September) and I will be called at some point in this tide window if the conditions are suitable to swim. If they are not I have to wait for a gap in the future!

How long will it take?

This depends on conditions on the day too, swimmers of my speed take anywhere between 15 and 25 hours. A large percentage of solo swimmers are unsuccessful in their attempts to swim the channel 😬

Will anyone swim with me?

Nope. I’ll be all alone in the water! I will accompanied throughout the swim by a support boat and an official from the Channel Swimmers & Pilots Federation to ensure I swim according to their rules! I will also have crew who will feed me.

Don’t you get bored?

Yes 😂

What do you eat?

Liquid feeds (energy drinks) will be dangled off the boat on a piece of string.

Can you get out for a rest? 

No, if I touch the boat or anyone my swim will be disqualified. 

Do you cover yourself in goose fat?

No! But I will use Vaseline to stop my swimming costume from rubbing

Will you wear a wetsuit? 

No. Neoprene is not allowed under the CSPF rules. I will wear a standard costume, a swim hat and goggles. 

What is the water temperature?

It should be around 18°C. I have acclimatised to the cold by swimming through the winter for several years ❄️ .

Are there sharks in the channel?

I hope not 😂 🦈 Not killer ones anyway…!