I decided to swim the English Channel in September before I get too old. I'm paying the costs myself but it would be a shame to miss the opportunity to raise some money for charity. I chose WaterAid because water quality is important during training and I think that they make small amounts of money go a long way to improving and saving lives.

My employer, LCH.Clearnet has an established Corporate Responsibility Programme and will be fundmatching the first £2000 I raise. With this and gift aid each pound you sponsor will become £2.25. This is a very challenging goal I will do all I can to complete it but there is a chance I will not compete it. You are sponsoring my attempt.

Here are some answers to some of the questions I am asked.

The channel swimming rules mean that I am not allowed to wear a wetsuit or even longer trunks, I have to wear speedos or "budgie smugglers".

I don't intend to use channel swimmers grease. It's messy stuff and the benefits aren't clear, I'll just apply vaseline to chosen areas of chafage.

The distance is about 21 miles in a straight line but I'll swim a lot further because the tides will make me swim in a large S shape. I expect it to take about 15 hours. I'll swim front crawl.

I swim next to a pilot boat whose job it is to guide me across the busiest shipping lanes in the world. They can only pilot one swimmer at a time although other swimmers and pilots may be trying on the same day.

My swim is likely to be on a spring tide between the 14th and 22nd of September, but it may be earlier. The water temperature will be about 16C.

My training is going OK, I have been swimming in Dover Harbour, the Serpentine and the Thames. I did a seven hour qualifying swim.