My Story

 Thank you for taking the time to visit our JustGiving.com page on behalf of Pulmonary Hypertension UK.

 In June of this year, my friend and I will undertake the challenge of a lifetime and swim the English Channel.  We are swimming in a 4 man relay the full 22 miles from Dover harbour to the shores of Calais.  It is the equivalent of more than 700 lengths of an Olympic sized swimming pool. We are currently training very hard as swimming in open water is difficult, potentially dangerous and requires full physical fitness.  We will be contending with a constantly changing tide, potentially huge swells, debris, pollution and our own physical endurance and stamina.There have been many people that have undertaken this challenge in the past and many of them have failed.

My name is James Gibson joining me is Tim Hughes  we are from Newcastle-under-Lyme in North Staffordshire. We are all average guys who are determined to complete this mammoth challenge.  We all have a sporting background and we consider ourselves to be both physically and mentally fit and able.  Luckily for us, our GPs agree!

 We are raising money for Pulmonary Hypertension UK (PHA) as a thank you for the on-going hard work that they do and have done for my family.  My brother, like a relatively small amount of people in the UK, suffers from Pulmonary Hypertension (PH).  PH is an increase in the blood pressure in the pulmonary blood vessels that leaves the sufferers with a shortness of breath, dizziness, faintness and other symptoms that are exacerbated by exertion.  This can also affect the stamina of the sufferer, leaving them unable to exercise for more than a few moments, drastically affecting general health and fitnesslevels, potentially exposing the sufferer to heart disease etc.

 The PHA provides support and information of this rare condition to the patients and to their respective families.  They fund research grants to institutions and individuals on an on-going basis into potential treatments or daily management of the condition.  They work tirelessly to make the lives of people with PH better and much more enjoyable.  Currently, they are the only charity in the UK who assists PH patients.

 If you would like to show your support for our epic swim, donations are being graciously accepted via this Justgiving.com page.

 

Wish us luck!