As part of my 50th year I wanted to give myself a challenge, to stretch myself physically and mentally, and I wanted to raise money for a local charity. So in June, after just one glass of Prosecco (honest), I joined a relay team swimming the channel in September. I've really enjoyed the training - swimming isn't something new to me, but before June I'd never swum in Open Water and I've had a steep learning curve getting to know the vagaries of sea swimming .... not to mention the temperatures! So to answer all the questions - NO wet suit - just a cossy, we use Vaseline, not goose grease, we swim an hour at a time and then rest on the boat until it's our turn to swim again and we expect the whole swim to take 14-20 hours depending on the tides and currents - we will end up swimming upwards of 30 miles or thereabouts. I am fundraising for Jane’s Place in Burnley - it's a SafeNet 'Recovery Refuge' designed specifically for women and children at risk of domestic abuse who have additional 'complex-needs'. These may include mental or physical ill-health, drug and/or alcohol dependency or a combination. Women experiencing these issues are frequently declined space in traditional refuges. The Recovery Refuge is different; it's designed to support women experiencing many different barriers as well as domestic abuse. Read more about it here …https://localgiving.org/charity/safenet/project/janes-place/ I’m calling on all my friends, family and patients to support this challenge – every pound I raise is another stroke in the water to France and will help Jane’s Place support women in dire straits and the children they are raising. Domestic violence is a huge problem affecting 1 in 3 women and this vulnerable group find accessing support particularly challenging. Thank you so much for supporting me – I’ll keep you all updated how we get on and will be full of stories of our adventures after!