6 August 2026 marks the 100th anniversary of Gertrude Ederle's solo channel swim. She was the first known woman to make the crossing from Dover to Calais, and at just 20 years old!

In Gertrude's honour, our team will be taking on the distance as a relay, swimming one hour each on rotation until we reach the continent. Currently scheduled for the tides of 29 July, our boat captain will decide on the exact date of the swim, but we hope it will coincide with the anniversary of Gertrude's epic achievement.

Supporting the team in this attempt is the wonderful team at Aspire the spinal cord injury charity - and in return, we're supporting Aspire, by attempting not only to swim to France, but to raise a massive £30,000 while we also train for the crossing.

FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM @10IWchannelswim to stay updated on events and other news from the team as we invite our supporters to take part in some open water swimming and cold dips so you can get a taste of the challenge ahead!

More about Aspire;

EVERY YEAR IN THE UK, more than 4,700 people sustain a spinal cord injury and like most of us, they are completely unprepared for how it will change their lives. Historically, most of spinal cord injuries have happened to young men in their 20s and 30s, but as more people live active and

Aspire offers practical support to the 105,000 people living with a spinal cord injury in the UK, from newly injured patients in hospital and throughout their lives. This support allows people with spinal injury to lead fulfilled and independent lives in their homes, with their families, in their workplace and in leisure time.

The Aspire Leisure Centre in North West London iwas the first fully integrated community leisure centre in Europe for both disabled and non-disabled people. The centre is connected Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, allowing it to be regularly used in rehabilitation for people with Spinal Cord Injury.

EVEN IF you've never met someone with a spinal cord injury, or someone with limited mobility who uses a wheelchair or other mobility device, most of us can empathise with the thought of losing in a single moment the freedom we take so much for granted in our able bodies.

More about Just Giving;

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.