Centre member Heike has signed up for the English Channel Relay Swim in June 2025 and training is already in full swing.

Heike has been fascinated by swimming the Channel since she started sea swimming in December 2020, as swimming the Channel is considered the Mount Everest of swimming.

Heike said “I lost my right leg above the knee in an accident and where swimming was always important to me it became even more important since the accident, as it meant freedom and independence to me.

Since joining The King’s School Sports Centre in April 2023, Heike trains three times a week in the pool, swimming 80-120 lengths. She tries to get in the sea as much as time allows to prepare her for swimming in 16°waters comes June 2025.

The swim is part of SwimTayka, which is a UK-based charity that works towards promoting safe swimming practices globally. They work with local communities to provide swimming lessons and water safety education, with the goal of reducing drowning deaths and improving overall health and wellbeing.

The English Channel relay swimming is a challenging team sport where a group of swimmers takes turns to swim across the English Channel. SwimTayka offers a unique opportunity for swimmers to use their passion for swimming to make a positive impact on the world. By supporting SwimTayka’s mission and fundraising for the cause, swimmers can help make a difference in the lives of people around the world by promoting safe swimming practices and reducing drowning deaths.

Please visit Heike’s JustGiving page to support this great charity and help Heike with her fundraising, we wish her and the team all the best for their swim next year.