Hello friends and family,

On 10th September, I will be donning a wetsuit and heading across the murky depths of Derwentwater in the Lake District, participating in the 5km swimming leg of a mammoth fundraising event organised by our agency.

The AMV BBDGO relay (see what they did there?) is an epic effort on a slightly terrifying scale - the logistics alone would make most run for the hills. But of course those adlanders among you will know that we relish an administrative challenge: over the space of six days, well over 200 people will do their bit to get a baton from John O'Groats back to 151 Marylebone Road across 25 legs of various sporty and not-so-sporty activities in support of Brain Tumour Research.

When I raised my hand for the swim event, which only 5 people are participating in, I didn't quite realise what I'd let myself in for. I haven't swum anything like regularly for at least 10 years - I realised this when I discovered that my swimming costume had disintegrated! Just getting the wetsuit on in readiness for my transformation into an open-water distance swimmer was challenging (and embarrassing) enough.

To put the 5km distance into context:

- Longest Olympic women's pool event: 800m

- Olympic triathlon swim: 1.5km

- Iron Man swim: 3.8km

Admittedly I certainly won't be cycling or running as soon as I heave myself out of that lake, but I hope I'm conveying the somewhat daunting nature of this task. 

But the early mornings avoiding swans in the Serpentine and hours spent with numb toes in London's lidos are all sacrificed in the name of an excellent cause: Brain Tumour Research's mission is to raise funds for research into the prevention and treatment of brain tumours, as well as ultimately finding a cure.

The agency has made a fantastic commitment to match whatever we raise as individuals, so I would be massively appreciative if you would put your hands in your pockets to donate whatever you can to an often-overlooked cause. 

Thank you, and I look forward to seeing you all again as soon as it's all over!

Reiko x

 

 

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