At the end of June I am doing the Henley Classic swim, which is a 2.1 km swim on the Henley Rowing Regatta course… upstream and at around 4 am. 😅 (We start early as it’s the week before HRR and the rowers are on the water for training by half 6.)

I was drawn toward the swim originally because of its famous rowing connection. Rowing is in my blood big time on both sides (my Dad's competed at Henley!), so anytime I'm near the sport my soul feels a little lighter and a little more connected to both my Mom and my Dad. ❤️

I’ve done this race previously, in 2018 and 2019, but when I went to register this year to have another go, there was an option to sign up for a charity place to raise money for Macmillan Cancer Support. I jumped at the chance.

I lost my Mom in October 2021 to stage IV breast cancer. My Mom accessed treatment and support for her diagnosis in the US, and I am immensely grateful she had the resource to do so, but so many people don't. That's a topic for another time, and I have a lot of thoughts about it. For now, I'm setting my sights on fundraising for Macmillan who provide emotional, financial, and practical support to those affected by cancer in the UK.

My target is £250 as this is what they've asked us to pledge, but I feeeeeeel like we could push that a bit further. If you're able, please consider donating even a small amount ahead of the race, which is on 25 June this year. And wish me luck!

Bit of extra info provided by Macmillan/JustGiving: Macmillan gives people with cancer everything they’ve got. If you’re diagnosed, your worries are Macmillan’s worries. Macmillan’s doing whatever it takes. But without your help, Macmillan can’t support everyone who needs them. Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast, and secure. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs.