UPDATE! 13/3/09 At last! I finally, bloody well, did it!! 1250m today, which takes me over my target distance of 22 miles, or 35.4 kilometres. So, all you people who said you'd sponsor me 'when you've done it'.... time to put money where mouth is!

12/3/09 1000m today, 1100 to come...

1/3/09 1600 today - 2,100m left... that's one big swim if I can find the time, or two little ones...

22/2/09 1700 today, 3.7kms remaining - c'mon!

17/02/09 I am RUBBISH! But I have taken out a membership at the pool again, so now have no excuse.... 1400m down, for exactly 30 kms in total. 5.4 to come...

28.01.09  I could make all kinds of excuses... I got sick, the pool was closed for a month, I moved house... they're all true. Point is, I'm now running late to finish, but finish I will. 1900m done tonight, 6.8kms (4.25 miles) to come...

26/11/08 Eeeek! Is it really that long? Georgi is now back in the game - nd back in the pool. Another 1000m nailed.  26.7down, 8.7 still to come.

9/11/08 And 1.6 more: 25.7kms done, less than 10 to go - woo hoo (9.7 and counting!!!)

8/11/08 2.1kms today, for a total of 24.1kms

6/11/08 1.8km (got caned by Mel), so I'm 22kms down...

2/11/08 Sidelined by a sore throat this week but back in the water today - 2.5kms: I'm past 20ks! 20.2kms to be precise, 15.2 to go

25/10/08 Half way today!! Did another 2,300m so I'm 17.7kms down!!!

21/10/08 Just time for 1200m, but I'm now at 15,400m, with exactly 20km to swim

19/10/08 A monster effort of 2600m takes me past 40%: 14,200m - done!

18/10/08 Swimming with a hangover isn't as bad as it sounds, but I only managed 1200m. Just 200m shy of 1/3 done: 11600m!

14/10/08 10.4kms down! Exactly 25kms left to swim.

12/10/08 another 2000m down - total 8,900

7/10/08 1400m in a fairly quick 30 mins - and I'm 20% there!! 7kms down (okay, 6.9kms) and 28.5 to go!  

3/10/08 Broke a major psychological barrier today - with 5500 metres now under my belt I have less than 30kms to go!!

28/9/08 Amazed at how much I didn't hurt after Wednesday, I've put in another 2300m. 4.1km down. 31.3kms to come

24/9/08 I've officially started my swim: I nailed 1800 m in the LA fitness pool in Oxford. Just 33,600 metres to go...

Okay folks, here's the deal.

Aspire is a UK charity that provides support to people with spinal injuries. As some of you know, I've had some experience of  spinal trauma myself. I spent my 19th birthday in hospital after an accident left me with a burst fracture of my 'L4' vertebra. It was 8 months before I could walk again without help.

When I was in rehab, my physio said the best thing I could do for my healing body was swim, and I did: 6 days a week for 12 months. To now be able to get back in the pool to raise money for such an awesome cause feels especially appropriate.

Because not everyone is as lucky as I was. My recovery was by no means certain - I was 5 hours in surgery and months in physio - but my damage wasn't 'complete', so I can walk now.

Many other people (40,000 in the UK alone) just aren't that lucky. Every year, 1200 brits (that's nearly 4 per day) are told they may never walk again, and their lives are forever changed.

But people with spinal injuries don't have to let that stop them. In the years since my accident, I've met people with quadriplegia (limited movement in arms, torso as well as legs) who can drive a car; who have borne children; completed post-graduate study; run companies. I even met a chap who, determined that a broken neck would not end his ballet career, now performs inspirational 'wheelchair dance' and moving spoken word shows.

Getting on with life like this requires extra support - from special equipment during rehab to help with getting in and out of bed and through daily tasks like eating and keeping clean. ASPIRE helps people in the UK to do just that.

Please support me if you can, by sponsoring me. In the next few weeks I'm trying to swim 35.4 kilometres (that's 22 miles - more than 1400 laps of the pool!!). Donating through Justgiving is quick, easy and totally secure. It’s also the most efficient way to sponsor me: ASPIRE gets your money faster and, if you’re a UK taxpayer, Justgiving makes sure 25% in Gift Aid, plus a 3% supplement, are added to your donation.

Thanks for helping me make a difference!

Georgi