One day, I was absentmindedly listening to the radio when a story caught my ear. It was about a paralysed women, attempting to become the first person to swim the English Channel (22 miles!) The story went on to explain that Paula Craig MBE suffered a complete spinal cord injury 20 years ago, when she was knocked off her bike, leaving her paralysed from the waist down.

At the time, Paula was an elite marathon runner, training for the GB triathlon team and a serving police officer. To suffer such a horrific injury must have been utterly devastating and I was truly astounded to hear that twenty years later, she is now swimming the English Channel (a personal and very lofty dream, that less people have completed than climbing Everest) for the spinal injury charity, Aspire.

Paula says, “The support and opportunities provided by Aspire in the days and months after my injury were invaluable both in terms of my mental and physical health.”

Since then she has campaigned relentlessly for the Charity, completed the London Marathon in a wheelchair, competed as an international wheelchair triathlete and was awarded an MBE for services to policing.

I was so amazed by her story, that I did a google and found Aspire’s website and found out that every four hours someone in the UK is paralysed by a spinal cord injury. This is an devastating statistic and unimaginable for someone that has not gone through it.

I know that I take being able bodied for granted and probably exercise not quite enough and watch Netflix a bit too much. So I decided to get out of my comfy seat and do something about it.

Unfortunately, the English Channel swim was closed for a keyboard warrior with fifteen minutes of cold water tolerance, so I signed up to the next best thing – swimming from the Needles on the Isle of Wight to the mainland, a mere 3 miles across the straits of the Solent.

Obviously this would be a doddle, until I actually stood on the walls of Hurst Castle and looked across to the white isle. The cover picture is a photo of the view :/

It turns out that the Solent has some of the meanest currents in the UK, as the water funnels through the gap between the Mainland and the Island. This makes it great for sailing…not so much for swimming.

When I mentioned the swim to my family, they laughed, asked if it was possible, then said:

Dad - “You do know there is a ferry?” (ha)
Mum – “Oh Lou, why do you always have to pick these places. Can’t you go for a swim in Majorca instead?”
Boyfriend – “You know, I can’t jump in after you?” – a swimmer, that understandably likes to see the bottom at all times.
Sister – “Lou…” *shakes head*

But here we are! My swim is less than 3 weeks away and I am now pushing hard to raise funds for this incredible charity, that helps people in their darkest hour.

How has my training been going? Hmmm…light. I moved to Leeds at the beginning of the year, a beautiful, but entirely landlocked city, 2 hours in all directions from the sea. I’m also very hopeful that saunas strengthen arm muscles.

But, as we like to say in work, WE ARE, WHERE WE ARE.

I have already personally covered all the costs for completing the swim, so 100% of your donation will go straight to Aspire.

I will also make sure to provide pictures after the event – lots, if I make it; less, if I am dragged away in a canoe, even less, if I make the news!

A HUGE, HUGE THANK YOU FOR DONATING!

Love, Lou xxx

https://www.aspire.org.uk/