See my swim at http://sarahschannelswim2010.wikispaces.com/

I've always had a dream of trying to swim the Channel, and decided in 2007 to actually give it a go, so I booked my place and started training. My support-crew and pilot-boat were booked for the first week of August 2010. Training in Dover began at the beginning of May 2010 - starting with 30-minute swims. I completed a 7-hour swim on Saturday 26th June, followed by a short night swim and a 6-hour swim on Sunday 27th. I then had two more Dover training weekends with similar swims and hoped to be ready for the big day.

On Monday 2nd August that day arrived, and I made it over the Channel, in 16 hours 49 minutes!

After a tense couple of days waiting for suitable weather, I set off on the support boat from Dover marina for the short and very choppy journey to Samphire Hoe beach. Here, at 3am, I attached my lights sticks and swam from the boat to the beach. I cleared the water and then started the swim. The first few hours were rough, I could see the boat rolling about and was worried for my crew. Then the sea calmed down and I settled into the swim and really enjoyed it. After about 12 hours I entered the French inshore waters and a strong tidal current. For the next 90 minutes I had to swim with all my effort to try and cross this current. I knew that if I didn't make this I would be swept up the coast and swim for at least another 6 hours before the tide turned again. I didn't fancy that. At last I made it into the shallows and out of the current. Here I made the mistake of looking up to France - something I had been advised not to do - and I became quite dispirited as France seemed to be getting no nearer. However my support crew were fantastic, yelling encouragement. It was with massive relief that I finally stood up and walked out of the water, a Channel Swimmer!!!

My support crew were fantastic, my friends who coordinated messages to the boat, my family who believed in me, my friends who have swum with me and encouraged me while I trained and everyone who sent messages of support.

If you feel able to make a pledge to The Alzheimer's Research Trust through my JustGiving page, you'll be supporting a really valuable cause. Alzheimer's affects 700,000 people in the - a number forecast to double within a generation. This is a condition where the sufferer has no control over what is happening to them, and their family has to watch them change irrevocably. Far more needs to be done to understand the condition. The Alzheimer's Research Trust is the leading research charity for dementia, and it promotes research into treatments, cures and prevention. It relies entirely on donations, receiving no Government funding.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.