Peterborough Lido
IN THE BEGINNING
Why? This is the question I've been asked most since I announced my swim.
My Mum taught me to swim in Peterborough Lido when I was six and I swam there every Saturday morning with her for many years. It was a regular weekly routine. I have vague memories of wearing bright orange arm bands trying to do a width, and also of my Dad (who didn't swim, despite having been in the Royal Navy for 7 years!) standing by the railings cheering on my progress.
From then until my teens I was in the Peterborough Swimming Club, where Mum taught on a Friday evening, and later, the Life Saving Club on Tuesday evenings. I raced in annual swimming galas and was once disqualified after winning a breaststroke race, for touching the pool-end with one hand (2 hands are required for breaststroke). I never did that again!
At 11, I went to ‘The County Grammar School’ and was selected for the school swimming team who trained three times a week, with general class swimming on a different day. I do remember my swimming schedule back then was every day except Sundays and twice on Fridays.
At 17, several friends got Saturday jobs in high street stores; I got a Saturday and Sunday job as a lifeguard at the lido, which I loved - as you would when you’re 17 years old with long legs, slim figure and the only female on duty! And yes, I saved 3 people that season...
Breaststroke was my first and best stroke, and still is. At about 11 or 12, I swam my first non-stop 2 miles in the lido, after which I confidently announced to my parents that one day I was going to swim the English Channel.
So ‘one day’ is now looming. I’m considering registering my swim as a breaststroke swim, (the observer ensures no other stroke is used). At time of writing there have been approximately 15 breaststroke crossings, all of whom were younger than me. So potentially, I could be the oldest EC breaststroker; although to be honest, I just want to get across whatever the stroke, and it could well be doggy paddle by the end!
Bootcamp at Langdon Hills, Basildon
RECENT YEARS
JANUARY 2026
If someone had told me 10 years ago what I would do going forward, when there wasn't even the slightest hint of it then, I would have laughed in their face and dismissed it as fantasy. It occurs to me though that life is a chain of events. This is my 10 year chain...
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It started with my beauty therapist (she’s ultimately to blame for all this) who invited a personal trainer to her salon for free taster sessions for her clients. (Jan 2016).
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That taster session led to regular sessions and when he moved on a year later, (hopefully not due to my lack of ability), he recommended me to someone else. (Apr 2017).
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That someone else turned out to be the person who has, without doubt, completely shaped the last 10 years of my life, the sole person I credit for the rest of this chain of events and who remains my personal trainer, friend and confidante today. Andy Little.
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In addition to 1:1 sessions and bootcamps, Andy got me into running, something I’d never done before, even at school. Despite me firmly declaring "I don't do running", which has since become a long standing joke between us, after much perseverance (by him, not me!) and 17 months later, I proudly ran the first kilometre of my life - which is a considerable side story. And yes, it really did take that long! (May 2019).
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Which bewilderingly led to my first 5k just a few weeks later, and 10k a few weeks after that. (Jul & Aug 2019).
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Which led to 365 days of daily 5k runs - I'd planned to do 30 days of June but just kept on going! (Jun 2020 - May 2021).
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Which led to my 1st full marathon - Loch Ness - 5 hrs 19 mins - for which Andy flew to Scotland to be at the finish line. I have to say I think he was more excited than I was when I crossed the line and has since claimed I'm his biggest success story. Goodness, who would have thought?! (Oct 2021).
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Which led to 52 half marathons in 52 weeks, every single Sunday regardless of weather or where I was in the world. (Nov 2021 - Oct 2022).
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Which led to my 2nd full marathon - Brighton - 5 hrs 8 mins (Apr 2023).
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Which led to 12 triathlons in 12 months. Having done 365 days of something and 52 weeks of something, I now felt I wanted to do 12 months of somethings! And the triathlons rekindled my original love of swimming. (Apr 2023 - Mar 2024)
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Broke my ankle (on an acorn!). So feeling bored with my leg in a boot one day, frustrated at not being able to run and with swimming back in my mind, I impulsively booked 3 Lake District swim challenges, despite having no proper cold water or distance swim training (Mar 2024).
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Swim training led me to an endless pool, the owner of which happened to have swum the Channel. On hearing it had been a childhood aspiration, he said ‘So stop dreaming about it and just book it’! (Apr 2024).
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Swam Lake Coniston (5.25 miles - 4hrs 8 mins) and most of Ullswater (6 of its 7.5 miles - 5hrs 34 mins). Ullswater was widely described by organisers as 'unusually challenging' and 'a very tough cold-weather day' - resulting in numerous withdrawals including me. Later photos showed spectators wearing down jackets and woolly hats - in July! (Jun & Jul 2024)
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My local lake opening hours restricted swim time, so I banked a 10k & 15k swim in the pool. 400 & 600 pool lengths - all very tedious (Aug 2024)
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A month after Ullswater, I completed 9 of Windermere's 11 miles, taking myself out the swim after 7 hrs 40 mins, just 2 miles from the end due to getting uncontrollable shivers. Whilst disappointed on the day not to finish, on reflection I was chuffed to have got that far considering I’d only trained for 3 months (Aug 2024).
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That played on my mind, as did 'just book it'. If I could swim 9 miles with only 3 months of training, what could I achieve with 2 years of training? Hmm, I started to do some research...
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Research completed - I booked my channel swim pilot boat (Mar 2025).
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Completed Lake Windermere end to end. 10.5 miles | Breaststroke | Water 15° | 7 hrs 59 mins (Sep 2025).
Duke's Hall, London
BEYOND TRAINING
While swim training and channel preparation seem to have taken over my life, it doesn't tell the whole story. There is actually a part of my life that exists beyond Garmin data, training logs, drills, goggles and cold water. Away from all the swimming, running and workouts, several things occupy my (spare) time...
WORK
I work for myself within the corporate world of Leadership and Management development. I combine training, facilitation and psychological coaching, working with leaders of all levels - from first time managers to Directors/CEOs. I've worked in this field for 25+ years and have been extremely fortunate to have had numerous work opportunities in Asia, North & South America, The Middle East, Scandinavia and Europe, which has been one of the best parts about the job!
Among the many wonderful places and landmarks I've visited, all due to work, the standouts for me are the Great Wall of China, the Taj Mahal, the Burj Khalifa, St Basil's Cathedral in Red Square, the Lincoln Memorial, Victoria Harbour, the Petronas Twin Towers, the casinos of Macau (the 'Las Vegas of Asia'), the deserts of Oman, the vibrancy of Colombia, the Andes of Chile and the must-sees of New York. I've never taken these travel opportunities for granted; I fully recognise how privileged I am to have experienced so many cultures and stood before some of the world's most iconic landmarks. Honestly, how lucky am I?
For me, it was 16 years of fun, laughter and music which brought together people of all ages and status, who clapped and cheered each other at rehearsals totally unprompted. Where else would you find this range of people coming together with such support and laughter under normal circumstances? I loved it. Having said that, I left in 2017 feeling 16 years was quite enough. But the show hit a downturn after Covid and never fully recovered. So I'm now back in an effort to get it back on its feet which isn't easy after such a long break. Currently, I'd say the show is back on its knees, and the jury is still out whether it will get to its feet.
SHOW PRODUCTION
In my youth I took part in the local Gang Show for several years (a worldwide show for members of Scouting & Guiding), eventually moving onto the production side as Musical Director for another few years. When I moved from my home town, I found a new Gang Show and was offered the role of MD, and a year later, Producer too. We put on a week-long show at the town theatre every 2 years, with a 'Show In A Day' on the alternate years. We had around 80 cast members from 7 to 65 in age including Dads & daughters, leaders & kids and even a whole family of five.
That is, until January 2025 when I decided it was time to attack my bucket list. As a kid, I'd seen concert pianists on TV walk onto a stage, take a deep bow and sit down to play, and I'd always wanted to do that. So I hired a grand hall in London, invited 100 friends and family, and very self-indulgently put on a concert for 2 hours one Sunday afternoon. I was completely terrified, played 20 pieces all slightly too fast due to nerves, but... I got to take my bow!
When starting out on my own, prior to corporate work taking off, I spent many years working as an expedition leader, often teaching and/or assessing students for their Duke of Edinburgh expeditions. At times, my schedule was quite surreal; I could be standing in a marble-pillared lobby of a five-star Qatari hotel during the week, then sitting halfway up a mountain stirring a pot of pasta outside my tent at the weekend. One trip that now holds fond memories for all the wrong reasons, was a month-long student expedition to Ukraine where we hiked through the Carpathian mountains and travelled through several areas now affected by war.
And on the side, just for fun, I have several piano pupils who I thoroughly enjoy teaching.
PIANO
The piano has been a huge part of my life. I learned to play when I was eight, passed all my grades and continued to my Diploma (which involved practicing for 10 hours a day). When my teacher suggested applying to the London College of Music, I decided the piano had only ever been a hobby and I didn't have much interest in pursuing it in a more serious, career kind of way. So I gave up lessons completely, which was the end of a huge era for me. However, I still play, teach and am a musical director.
But in all those years I'd never played in front of an attentive audience and 'performed'.
RESCUE KITTIES
I'm just not me without a cat! So I couldn't finish this page without briefly mentioning my feline companions...
Sisters Fluffy and Scruffy were 8 weeks old when I had them. They made the move from my home town with me and lived until they were 16 and 21 respectively. Then I discovered the charity RANA and adopted Smokey and Smudge in 2018, two street cats rescued from Tunisia. Having visited numerous countries where street cats/kittens/dogs/puppies were starving, injured, tortured, sick, lost, alone and bewildered, the work RANA does really resonates with me.
Smokey
Smudge
Smokey very suddenly died in the summer of 2024 and Smudge - the most playful adult cat I've ever known - got unexpectedly sick and crossed the rainbow bridge late 2025. Feeling a loss of fur in my life, I'm now waiting for two more rescue kitties through RANA - due very soon - a pair no-one wants because they're older. So seeing past their age, I'm hoping to offer this brother and sister duo a safe and loving home to live out their golden years. Watch this space...
In The Beginning
Recent Years