Hello! As some might know, it is my 21st birthday on the 16th of March, and to mark the occasion I wanted to help support an organisation that helps so many people. 

I started swimming in November 2020 as a way to get out of the house whilst we were all still in the throes of the pandemic. I found solace in spending a half hour in the pool twice a week, a break away from anything I might be worrying about. Despite the positivity it brought to my well-being, I ended up in a dark place the following year, and my mental health really took a hit. This is when the Samaritans were there for me. I was given a place to vent and be heard by someone who listened with no judgment, just empathy and kindness. I am so grateful they were there for me when I felt like I was alone. 

Since then, I have fallen in love with swimming again and it brings me the headspace and endorphins I need to thrive. So, I want to give back to the Samaritans to say thank you for helping me in my time of need, and to support them to help others like me who need them. When you are struggling, the hardest thing in the world to do is to reach out, so I need your help to provide services for when people find the courage to reach out. I am challenging myself to swim 5km over the next 5 weeks, in the run-up to my birthday! I am aiming to raise £200, so if you would like to help me support this life-saving organisation, your donation would be greatly appreciated!

Note: I do not have a FitBit or device I can use to track my progress, so I will be manually calculating them and putting them into the website to keep track of how I'm doing. Stay tuned for that and any post-swim selfies I might take!