I have decided to undertake this challenge in aid of the super amazing EACH (East Anglia's Children's Hospices) and would be very grateful if you would sponsor me. I've paid all of the costs for this myself and they will NOT be coming out of any sponsorship - all money raised will go to EACH. 

Swimming the channel is commonly known as the 'Everest of swimming' - the vast hours of training required, the untouchable enormity of the challenge involved in swimming that far in cold open water and the huge costs involved. Even with all the prep and all the training it is going to hurt like heck - I am under no illusions whatsoever. But whatever discomfort I experience will be temporary, for so many of the children and young people EACH support it is often sadly not. There isn't a much more powerful thought to keep me swimming until I reach land.

Training to swim it is obviously very intense but is more enjoyable than you'd think (honest!), it's consumes vast swathes of my life but I love pretty much every hour spent in the water. I'm currently swimming approx. 35k/40k a week in a variety of conditions, as well as getting the swim miles in there are many other things to consider: swimming in cold water (down to 7º this season); swimming in rough seas/tough tides; looking at technique over long distances; learning to breath to bilaterally and your unnatural side (to avoid boat exhaust and in case the waves are coming from the other direction); becoming efficient at fairly low effort/sustainable levels; finding out what nutrition your body needs during long swims; learning to feed in the water; managing muscle grumbles; getting used to swimming for long periods in the sea; learning how the salt water reacts with your skin and mouth; dealing with chafing (it's all very glamourous!) and swimming in at open water at night. There are then the things you can't prepare for but know you will probably encounter like swarms of jellyfish, polluted water and navigating the worlds busiest shipping lane of course...!

There are lots of rules associated with an official channel crossing: no wetsuit, one swimming costume, one pair of goggles, one hat and some grease. You aren't allowed to touch the boat and your crew aren't allowed to touch you so have to pass your nutrition on a pole! You have to pass a vigorous medical then prove you can swim for 6 hours in a sub 16º sea before they will even consider allowing you to hire an official registered Channel Pilot & Boat accompany you across to advise on tides/route/weather and the traffic!

The sea temperature should be fairly stable by the end of September but this means that most of my swim will probably be in the dark. I genuinely have butterflies in my tummy about it, there will only be one day when I get in the water in England hoping to get out of the water in France having made my own way there - days don't get much more exciting and terrifying than that.