I am taking part in the Blenheim Palace Triathlon as part of the Kensal Rise Tri team.
I am have never taken part in anything like this. One of my favourite sayings is that I don't even run for the bus.
And up until recently, I would never have dreamed to swim in a murky freezing cold pond. However, I can now talk for hours about the benefits of cold water swimming including the cup of tea and chat after each swim but I won't. I would rather talk about raising money for Ukraine.
I started swimming on the 1st of April 2021 and a few women who I regularly swim with in Hampstead Ponds took part last year and said it was great fun. So when Anastasia was looking for a swimmer on her relay team I volunteered. The idea behind the Kensal Rise Tri team is to get fit, have fun and raise money for local charities and organisations in need. It's a huge community effort led by Giles Deards. In 2021, they had the biggest team and raise £130K for West London charities.
I was always going to raise money for REUK but given the horrible, tragic and worrying situation at the moment, I am specifically raising money for Ukrainians who will come to the UK and will need help.
To quote from Moses Seitler's recent LinkedIn post: 'Education is key, especially in rebuilding from emergencies. It's a lifeline for young people, it's a route towards integration and it's vital for building cohesive communities. You might think refugees need only tents and clothes. They also need education and mental health support and mentoring.
Thank you for reading and contributing.
Link to Kensal Tri team. https://www.kensaltri.com/. Last year they were the largest group taking part in the Triathlon at Blenheim Palace.
Link to REUK and all the amazing work they do: https://www.reuk.org/