Hi, my name’s Ollie. I am 22 and in 2020 I was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD).  Suddenly, all the struggles I had faced in my life so far and how different I had felt to other people made sense. 

Originally planned to be on the 17th September 2022, the event was postponed due to the passing of Queen Elizabeth II. So, a whole year later on the 16th September 2023, I am going to attempt the ‘Swim Serpentine’ - a 2 mile swim around the Serpentine lake in Hyde Park - in order to help raise funds for Sycamore Trust UK. 

Sycamore Trust UK is a charity designed to:

“support families, educate the community and empower individuals on the  Autistic Spectrum and/or with Learning Difficulties to flourish and be valued members of society.”

I swim 3 times a week and have completed 3 Swimathons for charity, the most recent of which being 2.5 km in May of this year. This will be my first time attempting an open water swimming event and if I am successful, my first time ever swimming 2 miles in one sitting.

Any donations no matter how big or small will go a long way to helping continue the amazing work Sycamore Trust U.K. do, if you wish to learn more about this amazing charity, their website is below:

http://www.sycamoretrust.org.uk/