Hucknall mum to swim the English Channel

Kate Long is in training to swim the English Channel in 2015 in aid of young people’s charity Base51.

The 29-year-old, who celebrates her birthday today, will not only be swimming the testing conditions of the English Channel, but she will be doing it without a wet suit.

In September, Kate will tackle 10 and a half miles across Lake Windermere as a training exercise.

“I have a set target each week of the distance I want to reach and just keep chipping away at it,” She said.

“At the minute I am training in a pool, but I will begin my open water swimming in March.”

Kate trains with Absolute Triathlon Club in Nottingham where she coaches young swimmers and at Hucknall Leisure Centre. She will also be undergoing a 24 hour challenge to swim 24 miles in the lead up to her Channel swim.

She added: “Sport has given me a lot over the years. I do a lot of coaching with young people but wanted to do something to get people into sport and help them realise the benefits.

“I feel really positively about getting people active. Sport is the best medicine, it’s not just great for fitness but improves mental health and helps young people build better social relationships.”

Kate blogs about her training on a weekly basis and is appealing for businesses or anyone interested to sponsor her to fund the challenge and raise as much money as possible for Nottingham-based Base51.

The charity helps 12 to 25-year-olds by providing them with easy access to services including health, counselling, housing advice and practical support.

Visit Kate’s blog at www.kateslongswim.co.uk or contact her by emailing [email protected]

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