Motivation - Stop whinging.

Sometimes when the swimming is hideous and I really don’t feel like it, I have to remember what it’s all about and why I’m doing it.

I served for 6 ½ years in the Parachute Regiment and have many friends still serving, in what is becoming an increasingly difficult role each year. I have had friends injured and killed serving their country. When they return home to that same country they find they have very little support from our “government” (That’s deliberately in quotation marks).

Most recently after serving 6 months in Afghanistan my old regiment returned to the news that they may well be getting a pay cut, as much as 10% in some cases. Absolutely ridiculous but somehow viewed as acceptable by our Prime Minister David Cameron. For those of you not in England just imagine a pool of slime with lots of money who has led an incredibly privileged life, you have David Cameron.

Anyway never talk about politics it's all opinions, back to the reason I am doing the swim. I am hoping to raise as much money for Help for Heroes as possible. This is a charity set up to support injured troops after seeing the unacceptable treatment they were receiving back home. These people don’t only need our support but thoroughly deserve it as well. The majority are late teens/early 20’s just starting their lives only to lose limbs or sustain terrible injuries, both physically and mentally. Whatever your thoughts on the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the work done by these young men and women must be appreciated. They risk life and limb everyday for very little pay, and do an absolute top notch job. The youth in this country get a lot of stick, well this country is being served by a lot of them.

My swim will be specifically dedicated to my friend Colin ‘Tom’ Beckett, who was killed in action in Afghanistan earlier this year. This was one of the best men you could ever hope to meet, and somebody I believed was indestructible. He was killed by an I.E.D. (Improvised Explosive Device) whilst covering his blokes out on patrol, a job he could easily have avoided due to his rank. But Tom would never do that. I will be wearing his name on my swim cap and that is all the motivation I will need to carry on swimming no matter what state I’m in.

So in short if I ever need an extra push to get in the water I have one. If Tom ever did push me in I would probably complete a full length in mid-air before I even touched the water!

I hope to raise at least £2,100, which will be around £100 for every mile swum. I am grateful for any sponsorship, as I’m sure Help for Heroes are…