I first discovered Aspire after my husband’s accident. He was undergoing rehabilitation at the London Spinal Cord Injury Centre in Stanmore, where Aspire has a fantastic leisure centre. That was my first introduction to the amazing work they do.

Swimming the Henley Classic

I’ve always had a deep love for swimming. I was on my school swim team growing up and always felt at home in the water. A few months after my husband’s accident, I felt a strong pull to get involved and give back. When I saw the Henley Classic advertised on Aspire’s website, I instantly knew it was something I had to do.

Henley holds a special place in my heart and it was the last place we visited on holiday before Ciaran’s accident. When I discovered the Henley swim, it was only two months away. I thought, if we’re going to rally our friends and loved ones for this event, why not make it even more special? So we decided to get married in Henley three days before the swim! It turned into a truly unforgettable weekend—full of love, community, and purpose.

The swim was nerve-wracking, to say the least! Between planning a wedding, working full-time, and juggling everything else in our life, my training took a bit of a backseat. I honestly wasn’t sure I’d even make it to the finish line!

The morning of the swim was surreal. It was around 4am, cold even for June, and the Thames was covered in very thick fog. The start was delayed because of the fog and the inability to see any of the swimmers, so we were all shivering and waiting anxiously for it to clear. The moment I finally entered the water, something shifted. I found my rhythm, drew strength from inside, and reminded myself why I was doing this. Hearing my 15-strong support crew cheering me on made all the difference. It was a powerful, emotional, and empowering experience and I’d do it again in a heartbeat!

Bake sale

I’ve recently fallen in love with baking, especially biscuits! It started as a fun creative outlet, something that brought me (and others) a lot of joy. I began bringing my bakes into the office, and before long, word spread about “those biscuits.”

Then, just before Christmas, the head of our food services team asked if I’d be interested in making holiday treats for the entire office. I was thrilled…and slightly overwhelmed. We’re an office of around 500 people! But I saw it as an amazing opportunity. I decided to sell gift-wrapped biscuits alongside the holiday treats and donate all the proceeds to Aspire. The best part? My company matches all donations, so the impact was doubled. I personally handmade and decorated approximately 2,000 small biscuits in seven different flavours, two of which were vegan. It was a labour of love, and I enjoyed every minute of it. It felt like the perfect way to celebrate the season while supporting a cause that means so much to me. 

Knowing first hand how difficult a spinal cord injury can be and how massively your lifestyle shifts, every part of me wants to figure out a way to make life easier for others with a spinal cord injury. Seeing how resilient my husband has been despite incredible challenges, always reminds me of how important it is to give back and to make sure I’m contributing to helping others with challenges. Of course, a swim in the Thames or some festive biscuit baking can’t take away the hardship, but I hope the funds I’ve raised will help lighten someone else’s load - just a little.

My fundraising has gone even better than I hoped! Between the Henley swim and the Christmas biscuit fundraiser, we’ve raised just over £9,000. I’m already brainstorming ideas to push that total past £10,000!  

It's always an easy decision to pick Aspire. Being one of the few spinal cord injury charities in the UK, I want to support them and contribute in any way I can. 

To all the partners, friends, and families of someone with a spinal cord injury, I’m hugging you all so tightly. The struggle is real for us too, and it's okay to need time and space for ourselves. I hope you find your own version of swimming or biscuit-baking - something that brings you joy and maybe even turns into a way to give back. 

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