Tag: Lake Windermere

STA Channel Swim 2023 Part 2

by Sophie, posted in challenge, chronic pain, Disability Swimming, Disabled, English Channel, Events, Family, friends, fundraising, hospital, Open Water Swimming, Wheelchair User

As I watched the sunrise it was a huge mental boost. I had got through the night and since I was expecting to finish late afternoon, I knew the rest of the swim would be in the light with the sunshine on my back. My only concern was last year during my relay swim, when … Continue reading STA Channel Swim 2023 Part 2

When I went to hang out with the Beavers…

by Sophie, posted in Adaptive Swimming, chronic illness, chronic pain, Disability Swimming, Disabled, Life in a wheelchair, Living with a Disability, Mental Health, open water, Open Water Swimming, outdoor swimmer, Outdoor Swimming, safety, Wheelchair User, Windermere

  One thing I have always been passionate about my entire life is to be kind and to give back and help where you can. Growing up I started as a Beaver, then went into Rainbows and Girlguiding all the way up to being a Ranger. I learnt a heck of a lot with Guides … Continue reading When I went to hang out with the Beavers…

Kendal Mountain Festival Part 2

by Sophie, posted in Adaptive Swimming, challenge, chronic illness, chronic pain, Disabled, Events, Family, friends, Lake Windermere, Living with a Disability, open water, Open Water Swimming, outdoor swimmer, Outdoor Swimmer Magazine, Outdoor Swimming, Wheelchair User, winter swimming

  After spending the night dreaming of talking to a room full of cabbages I woke up feeling surprisingly rested but quite sore. We got up at around 8.45am as we had to head to the hotel restaurant for breakfast, it was the first meal we had had at the hotel, and it was incredibly … Continue reading Kendal Mountain Festival Part 2

Kendal Mountain Festival Part 1

by Sophie, posted in Adaptive Swimming, chronic illness, chronic pain, Disability Swimming, Disabled, Events, Family, friends, Lake Windermere, Open Water Swimming, outdoor swimmer, Outdoor Swimming, Wheelchair User, winter swimming

  I am not entirely sure where to begin on such an amazing weekend but I have to start somewhere so I think to begin with I will start with some thank yous: The biggest thank you goes to my absolutely amazing sister, Laura, or my big fishy. Without Laura acting as my carer/helper for … Continue reading Kendal Mountain Festival Part 1

World Swim Day 2021 – What swimming has done for me

by Sophie, posted in Adaptive Swimming, challenge, chronic illness, chronic pain, Disability Swimming, Disabled, Events, friends, hospital, Lake Windermere, Living with a Disability, Mental Health, Open Water Swimming, outdoor swimmer, Outdoor Swimming, Training, Wheelchair User

Saturday was World Swim Day and I wanted to write something about what swimming has done for me. Swimming has almost always been part of my life and without it I felt lost. I had about 5 years after my accident with no swimming and during that time my life changed drastically, I became disabled, … Continue reading World Swim Day 2021 – What swimming has done for me

10 Years

by Sophie, posted in Adaptive Swimming, challenge, chronic illness, chronic pain, Disability Swimming, Disabled, Family, friends, hospital, Lake Windermere, Life in a wheelchair, Living with a Disability, Mental Health, Open Water Swimming, outdoor swimmer, Training, Windermere

  This week marks the 10 year anniversary of my cycling accident that triggered all my current health issues, including my Complex Regional Pain Syndrome and Fibromyalgia. After the day of that accident my life changed forever but at the time, I didn’t realise the result of the accident would be so drastic and have … Continue reading 10 Years

Windermere Part Two – Fell Foot to Ambleside

by Sophie, posted in Open Water Swimming

  It was time to set off back to Ambleside, just another 10.5 miles to go and I would have finally completed my 2 way Windermere swim. It had been postponed due to Covid19, I had had emergency surgery 4 weeks before and only 2 weeks before I wasn’t even sure if I would be … Continue reading Windermere Part Two – Fell Foot to Ambleside

Windermere – Ambleside to Fell Foot

by Sophie, posted in Adaptive Swimming, challenge, chronic pain, Disability Swimming, Disabled, Events, Family, friends, fundraising, Lake Windermere, Living with a Disability, marathon swim, open water, Open Water Swimming, outdoor swimmer, Outdoor Swimmer Magazine, Outdoor Swimming, psychology, Races, safety, Windermere

  I woke up at 5.15am on Wednesday morning having only had a couple of hours sleep. Thankfully I had, had the sense to get everything ready on Tuesday night, including talking through my swim plan with my sister. I had also had my final sports psychology session with Helen from think.believe.perform. We had gone … Continue reading Windermere – Ambleside to Fell Foot

Windermere Training Week 17 – Back in the Water

by Sophie, posted in Adaptive Swimming, chronic illness, chronic pain, Disability Swimming, Disabled, Events, fundraising, Lake Windermere, Life in a wheelchair, Living with a Disability, open water, Open Water Swimming, Outdoor Swimmer Magazine, Outdoor Swimming, Races, safety, Training, Windermere

This past week has been another emotional rollercoaster, but I can finally say that I have decided to attempt my 2 Way Windermere swim despite only having surgery just over 2 weeks ago! As mentioned in my last Windermere blog, the district nurse took my stitches out on the 14th August and told me that the … Continue reading Windermere Training Week 17 – Back in the Water

Week 16 – Two Weeks To Go!

by Sophie, posted in Adaptive Swimming, chronic illness, chronic pain, Disability Swimming, Disabled, Events, hospital, Lake Windermere, Living with a Disability, open water, Open Water Swimming, Outdoor Swimmer Magazine, Outdoor Swimming, Races, Training, Windermere

None of this is what I hoped to be writing just 2 weeks before Windermere but sometimes things just don’t turn out the way you hoped. It doesn’t seem possible that I had a pretty major surgery less than a fortnight ago, it was slow progress when in hospital but as soon as I was … Continue reading Week 16 – Two Weeks To Go!