Cath Pendelton UK

2018 – I achieved one of my childhood dreams and swam the English Channel raising over £3500 each for two charities (SSAFA and Welsh Hearts)

HITtheWALL really helped me to believe in myself and just keep swimming, smiling and PMA (oh and to sort my feeding thanks Jackie) The channel for me physically didn’t hurt (well the 🤮 wasn’t pleasant) but it was mentally so tough, and in order not to moan or ask any questions about time or distance, I made the decision that the only thing I was allowed to say at feed stops (unless meds or change in feed required)  was “Thank you and I’m having a nice day”  (a bigger challenge than the swim itself some will say about me as I love to talk!) Also, the hat I wore was yellow to remind me of those yellow buoys on the 10hr Swim and my chatthen “to the buoy and beyond”When I booked HITtheWALL I joked that I was doing it in order to lose my sea swimming “armbands” as I’m a lover of swimming in rivers, ponds and lakes in the winter and hadn’t done much sea swimming in comparison.  It certainly pushed me in different swimming conditions and I came away a lot more confident in my sea swimming ability, made awesome new friends and left hungry do the north channel in a few years (money needs to be found and swim speed needs work) for 2022 my 50th year