I'm taking on the Aspire Channel Swim 2021, swimming the distance of the English Channel over 12 weeks to raise money for Aspire. Every four hours someone is paralysed by Spinal Cord Injury and Aspire provides the essential equipment, advice and housing that spinal cord injured people need to live their lives independently. 

In 2014, I did the Aspire Channel Swim as part of 50 challenges I'd set myself as I turned 50. It was so successful that I ended up doing the double;  swimming 44 miles, effectively to France & back in the 12 weeks period, raising over £500 for Aspire. I was buzzing!

Since then, I was surprisingly diagnosed with a degenerative condition for which I took medication with horrible side effects.  This coupled with a difficult menopause, meant things weren't looking so great. My mental health certainly suffered.

However, further tests discovered that I had been mis-diagnosed (?!) & the hospital concerned apologised.  Inspired by the awesome Paralympic athletes, who have overcome so much more, the challenge of a septennial channel swim seems like a good place to start regaining my mojo!

So as well as supporting the essential work that Aspire do, you'll be encouraging my journey back too :)

Thank you!