On Sunday 6th August, 12 people decided to go to the Isle of Wight.  Nothing unusual in this you might think, but this group were going to swim there!

Amongst them were four colleagues from property specialists, Residential Land - Emma Whitby-Smith, Michael Hughes, Vanessa Vaara and David Keir.  Starting from a beach in Gosport, they were about to embark on the challenge of swimming across one of the busiest shipping lanes, the Solent.  It was a beautifully clear day, but the weather can be deceiving and they had to battle the choppy waters from start to finish.

It was Emma who first came up with the idea and asked Michael, Vanessa and David to join her in taking on the challenge of swimming 2.5 miles to the island.

Emma said, "I was a social swimmer and wanted to do something different and exciting and as my parents live on the Isle of Wight, the thought of swimming the Solent was very appealing.  Whilst I enjoy swimming I have never done any long distance challenges so I decided to persuade some colleagues to join me on the basis that if I didn't finish they would, plus of course we could raise more money for Aspire, a very worthy charity. It was a hugely rewarding experience and one I was proud to participate in."

The incredible efforts made by the team meant that they have raised over £8,100 for Aspire, money that will provide practical support to people who have been paralysed by spinal cord injuries.

For further information about the 2018 Solent Swims, please email [email protected] 

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