Joanne is a member of the Find Your Active funded group, Blue Therapy Active. She has been swimming with them throughout the winter ahead of her tremendous challenge in July, where she will be swimming to France as part of the Channel Relay!
There are many benefits of cold-water swimming, from helping to boost your immune system, helping to activate feel good endorphins and a great way of to socialise and make friends. Supported by Active Essex, and Southend Borough Council, the group have been able to provide a range of kit for participants to use while attending sessions, including dry robes, thermal line beanies, swim secure tow floats and more.
Joanne believes that Blue Therapy Active has helped improve her fitness and made her feel better prepared for the challenge. She will be raising funds for Swim Tayka, who work to give disadvantaged communities around the world access to swimming teachers, providing the life skill of swimming and water safety awareness.
Joanne said: “Drowning claims 360,000 lives every year, many of them children and every summer my heart sinks when I hear reports of children drowning. So, in 2020 I decided to try and make a small difference.
I wanted to show my daughter’s, one of whom is Dyslexic, that so much can be achieved when you understand yourself and truly put your mind to something. Challenges are very personal, if I can train and achieve this challenge, I hope they and others will start believing more in themselves – the challenge isn’t just the end goal, it is getting there that is often the challenge!
It is truly amazing what you can achieve when you find a purpose that your heart and mind believes in. In preparation I’ve been cold water swimming, in a costume, every week through winter. Challenges are meant to push boundaries and it started with a weekly dip with Cold Water Therapy training provided by Blue Water Active.”
We wish you the best of luck Joanne and will be supporting you every length of the way!
If you would like to support Joanne, you can donate via her Just Giving link here:
(Picture displayed was captured by – Jo Good, Openwater swim coach at Gone for a Swim.)
