Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.  Should you need to contact me direct my email is andreaholland1@hotmail.co.uk.

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.

Last year I decided to set myself some personal goals, at the same time as raising much needed funds for Cancer Research UK.  2014 was the 35th anniversary of when I last competed on the World Stage, at the World Cup for Synchronised Swimming in Tokyo.  My final ranking was 5th individually / 4th in the duet - at that time, I was also European Champion in the duet event. 

Since then, my swimming career has been spent mostly on poolside coaching teams for two Olympic Games, or doing a lot of talking as the TV commentator.   I hadn't competed or trained for synchronised swimming for more years than I care to remember!

My aim therefore was to compete again and enter the World Masters Championships in Montreal, Canada, a challenge I relished. The amount of training required to achieve a high enough standard for this was huge, so my evenings and weekends were solely dedicated to this until I competed last July.  My final ranking was 9th and I was delighted with the top 10 placing.  However, I will now continue the journey to compete again in Kazan, Russia in August 2015 in the hope of achieving top 5 and more much needed funds for Cancer Research.  My ultimate aim is to be World Masters Champion, but I'm not sure which year that will happen.  Will keep trying, as long as I keep improving.

Cancer Research UK is my chosen charity as it receives no government funding for its life-saving research.  Every step it makes towards beating cancer relies on every pound donated.  They pioneer research to bring forward the day when all cancers are cured - thanks to their research you are twice as likely to survive cancer today compared to the last time I competed at World level. 

We all have stories of how this dreadful disease has affected us but, as they say, 'one day we will beat cancer, the more research we do, the sooner that day will come'.

Please therefore give generously and thank you very much for supporting this challenge.