I'm an ordinary person. I don't have anything huge to point to in my life - apart from three grown sons I'm immensely proud of. I've been fairly successful in business, and I'm decent at some things, but I've never been a high-flyer, an athlete, or even especially co-ordinated.
Dave's cancer was the catalyst. I've never been someone who sits back and lets other people solve my problems - I've always had to step up and deal with whatever's thrown at me, and this was no different. But I couldn't cure him. I couldn't make him better, and that was hard. So I realised I had to do something else: I would raise money for someone far cleverer than me to do it instead.
To do that, I decided I'd swim in the sea - every day, for a year. I happened to be swimming in the sea at the time. That's how it started, with no idea where it would go or what it could become. I started two days later, and the rest is history.
I've learned so much along the way - that I can do something if I put my mind to it, and that my mind is stronger than I knew. It's pushed me into the water on days I really didn't want to go. It's kept me going back, day after day, when I was scared or tired. It's the strongest thing in me, and I'm proud I can put that resilience and determination to good use.
I hope I can inspire others - show them how to push past their own doubts and feel that sense of achievement. And I hope Daily Dip 4 Dave becomes a charity that changes the path of NETs for thousands of people: a legacy I can leave, and be proud of.
