My friend Cloe suggested the Aspire Channel Swim to me when she saw it advertised at our local pool. We have both recently started to swim to improve our general health. I couldn’t refuse as I thought that if she can do it then I certainly can - she’s well into her 80s I’m 65!

I immediately thought of Philip, a dear friend and family member (my daughter’s father in law), who had a terrible accident nearly two years ago. He has worked so hard to recover from his injuries. He and Cloe are my inspiration. 

Philip was mending a roof tile from an inside sky light window three floors up and the ladder slipped. He fell and landed on an outside garden table (probably saving his life) and broke most of the bigger bones in his upper body, including his spine.  He spent months in a Brighton trauma hospital and then Stoke Mandeville Hospital. Specialists didn’t think he would walk again. He has worked exceptionally hard with massive support from his family.  He is now walking well and beginning to return to some sports.

                                 

I too had a back injury when I was 20. I was on a first date with my late husband Richard. He thought going horse riding in the bush was a good idea. Apparently there was a snake in the bush which spooked the horses and mine reared up throwing me to the ground. I was taken in a wheelbarrow (this was South Africa in the 1980s!) to Richard’s car and then to hospital where they did X-rays and confirmed that my L5 vertebrae had shifted 52% away from my spine. They put me in a corset for three months to ensure it didn’t move any further which my father called my chastity belt! We were married five months later. The vertebrae has since fused itself and to date I have not needed surgery but I still have to be very aware of my back. 

I’ve always loved swimming and growing up in South Africa allowed me to swim from an early age both in the Indian Ocean and in the pool. As I’ve got older I’ve suffered from joint problems and have had a hip replacement and two knee replacements which have set my fitness back. Swimming is low impact with less risk of injuries and I feel confident and happy in the water.  I’m under no pressure and can exercise at my own pace when it suits me.  I’m now swimming nearly three miles a week and I have a good routine going. I only hope I keep it up once December comes.

I’m enjoying the Aspire Channel Swim much more than I thought I would! In fact I was so paranoid I wouldn’t manage it I have probably been swimming more than I needed to which means I may even manage to swim back again!

Having my friends and family sponsor me is an incredible incentive. I really do not want to let them down. Whenever I need some motivation there’s another sponsor giving the charity their hard-earned cash which gets me going again!

Having had knee and hip replacements I was told not to do breaststroke legs so I have trained myself to do butterfly legs when doing breaststroke. I couldn’t possibly do butterfly arms!  I swim mainly at Elmbridge Excel pool in Walton on Thames but also at Hampton open air pool which is 36 meters long and great because it’s open all year round and is heated beautifully. But you still have to walk from the changing rooms!

I have found fundraising surprisingly easier than I thought I would.  I set my goal at £500 and have made three times that. My friends and family have been extremely encouraging and generous. I sent the link to most of my friends on WhatsApp and put it on Facebook which I seldom use.  Word has spread and I’ve heard from some people who I had lost contact with since retiring!

My silly little injury could so have turned out differently and I am so aware of that. I have had a fabulous life with three children and five grandchildren. I am active and able to help when needed. I’ve also had a very physical career working with primary age children, a job which I loved. I walk my dog daily and after hearing about how Philip had to rehabilitate following incredible back surgery, I feel Aspire is the perfect charity to support. 

Thank you Aspire for all you do!  Thank you for inspiring me to set my goals higher than I ever have before.

Sponsor Jan

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