I’ve been swimming for almost my whole life. I suspect my love of the water started when I jumped into a holiday pool (fully clothed!) aged 2, splashed about laughing while my parents panicked and dived in to save me. I’m not an elite swimmer and never have been, but I was a solid club swimmer until my early teens and swam competitively for my school with some success. I’ve dipped in and out of swimming over the years - I’d go through phases of going to the pool and doing laps and then fall out of the habit.  

I started swimming consistently again in 2023 - my mum died in November 2022 and it hit me very hard. It still does. I started swimming to give myself a healthy outlet for my grief. Any form of exercise can be beneficial to your mental health and for me, water is very soothing - it can make your body feel light, it’s almost silent underwater and the repetitive movements of the stroke (front crawl for me) give a sense of rhythm and focus. It’s been a real lifeline. When I remembered that I was a good swimmer after a while of going more regularly, I decided to challenge myself and raise money for Trafford Rowing Club and Cruse Bereavement Support at the same time. In 2024, I signed up to be part of a 4-person team to complete a relay across the English Channel. We did it in 11 hours 36 minutes (and 2 seconds if you’re counting!) and it’s given me the confidence to try more challenging swims!