Old Harry Rocks to The Needles - Swimming 25km(ish) for 25 years of support
Dan Lovett
Old Harry Rocks to The Needles - Swimming 25km(ish) for 25 years of support
Old Harry Rocks to The Needles
25km(ish) for 25 years of support
Hi 😁
If you don't know who I am, my name is Dan Lovett and I'm going to be SWIMMING from 'OLD HARRY ROCKS' (Studland, Dorset) to the 'NEEDLES LIGHTHOUSE' (Isle of Wight). The swim is approximately 25KM (ish!) of open-ocean; battling waves, tides, currents, jellies and anything else in-between... I'm going to need a lot of Vaseline, suncream, bananas and peanut butter! You're probably thinking I'm completely mad… but I will be swimming in September (weather & tide dependant) so this could be at the beginning or end of the month, I’ll keep you in the loop 🤙
Here's why I'll be raising money for ''SPRING' (Supporting parents and relatives through baby loss) & 'Myeloma UK';
Sarah & Dan's story;
In 2023 my wife and I found out that we were expecting our first baby. We were over the moon and excited to share our news with the world! As soon as you find out you're pregnant, you start to dream and visualise all of the things you want to do as new parents and start to plan for your new life ahead.
We went for a scan and found out that we weren't going to meet our little one, devastatingly a heartbeat could not be found. We were also informed that this was a 'missed' miscarriage (silent miscarriage), which felt especially cruel as there were no signs anything was wrong with our baby. Our worlds collapsed around us and it felt like a huge wave had hit us and flipped everything upside-down. Over the next week, we faced an agonising wait for a second scan at the hospital to confirm our loss - hearing that they could not find a heartbeat (for the second time) was something no parent should ever have to hear. Our little one had died and we now had to face the reality of letting go.
In our darkest time, SPRING were there to support us and navigate this new chapter in our lives. Our counselling has helped us to learn how to sit with our emotions, how to grieve and how to begin to rebuild. The support has allowed us to validate our feelings and know that our loss is traumatic. We will never forget our baby and all the hopes & dreams. Talking openly and honestly in this safe environment provided by SPRING has allowed my wife and me to grow and heal together. I will never be able to thank them enough for all that they have done, but I can swim the distance to make a difference. What better way to celebrate SPRING's 25th anniversary by swimming 25km!
Jo & Chris's story;
My Wife’s Aunty (Jo) and Uncle (Chris) have also been on a very difficult journey. Over the past couple of years Jo has been undergoing treatment for breast cancer, which has entailed several surgeries. During the work up for the breast surgery it was found that Jo also had multiple myeloma. She needed chemotherapy & stem cell treatment for the myeloma. Last year Jo spent 2 months in ICU in a coma after contracting legionaries disease (in hospital) whilst having stem cell treatment. She had a collapsed lung kidney dialysis and other complications in ITU. Chris was told to expect the worse but Jo survived against the odds. Unfortunately, back on the ward Jo contracted covid. Thankfully she recovered and is in remission, Jo and Chris got married in March 2023 - the start of their next chapter.
During this swim, Chris will be the supporting safety boat. He was the first person to say 'YES' and be completely on board with this BIG swim!
I want to use this swim to raise money for these worthy charities and raise awareness of the support that is available to those on these difficult paths. But to also start the conversation about loss, healing and how we can all support each other in these challenging periods of our lives. Sadly we have lost far too many loved ones too soon.
Thank you for taking the time to read our stories, and I hope that you can donate to this BIG SWIM!
Sarah, Jo, Chris & Dan xxxx
You can and more about these amazing charities here;
SPRING - https://springsupport.org.uk
Myeloma UK - https://www.myeloma.org.uk
Check out the raffle here and win some BIG prizes!!!
https://raffall.com/342032/enter-raffle-to-win-big-prizes-for-a-big-swim-hosted-by-dan-lovett
If you would like to follow my training, updates and info on the upcoming raffle please go to these pages;
Instagram;
https://instagram.com/dans_big_swim?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Facebook;
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100094429185128
£4,020.50
+£492.50 Gift Aid
raised of £10,000 target
by 107 supporters
