I’m swimming the English Channel!

Well, the distance between Dover and Calais…..

Those who know me well know of My friend Derek. He is only 53 and is living with advanced terminal cancer. He doesn’t focus on how many days, weeks or months he may have left, but lives his life making the most of every day he has. He is an Inspiration. Despite his illness he is doing all he can to raise money for Maggie’s Cancer Centres.

Now if he can do it between chemotherapy and other treatments, then I have no excuse! I’m doing a sponsored swim in Derek’s honour!

The distance between Dover and Calais is 34 kilometres and that equates to 1360 lengths of my local pool. I struggle to walk 100 yards, even with my sticks, but I can still swim! I aim to swim this distance between Tuesday 7 September and Halloween. I will publish weekly reports from my Apple Watch, so there can be no cheating. I would love some motivation and ask all of you if you can spare a few pounds to give me the will and the impetus to leave the house on cold winter mornings to come.

Please sponsor me, however much you would like to give, as it is for a wonderful cause. Maggies Cancer Centres offer support to people with cancer and their families; a drop in centre for people to find help and information, a safe space to talk to friends and pull up a chair and have a coffee around a big old kitchen table and chat with others.

Please spare the price of a coffee or a pint, or more if you can! Maggie’s have not had much income during the pandemic. Every little helps.

Here are the links for Maggie’s and for my friend Derek’s page.

I will post regular updates of the money raised, and of every length I have swum.

Thankyou very much everybody, in advance for your support.

https://www.facebook.com/derek.francis.568

https://www.maggies.org/