Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

In the summer of 2023 I will be swimming the English Channel from Dover to Calais as part of a relay team of 6 ladies from Moore Barlow Solicitors.

The actual distance is 22 miles although we will swim further as we won't swim in a straight line due to the tides.

Each swimmer will swim for 1 hour at a time and must be alone in the water.  We will each complete 2 - 3 one hour swims depending how long it takes us.  Everybody must complete their swims or the whole team is disqualified.

I am equally excited and terrified.  I am definitely the oldest and slowest in our team.  However, I am determined to change that (not the age bit) and prove to myself that I can complete this challenge and raise loads of money for Aspire.  I have not actually been swimming for a very long time so have a lot of work to do to get 'swim ready'.

We will complete a qualifier in June where we have to swim for an hour and a half in the sea at Dover, get out for an hour and then get back in for another hour and the sea must be under 16 degrees.  We cannot wear anything other than standard swimming costumes for our swim to be official.   I know what you are thinking but I don't think we can smother ourselves in goose fat either.

As a team we are raising money for Aspire.  Aspire is a national charity that provides practical help to people who have been paralysed by Spinal Cord Injury which can happen to anyone at any time and no one is prepared for how it will change their life. People with Spinal Cord Injury will lose muscle and sensory control and a large majority will become full time wheelchair users for the rest of their lives. Historically, the majority of spinal injuries have been sustained by those aged 21 to 30, with nearly three quarters of new spinal cord injury patients being male. 

Through its projects and programmes, Aspire offers practical support to the 500,000 people living with a spinal cord injury in the UK, from newly injured patients in hospital and throughout their lives.

We would appreciate any donations to this important cause .