The Big, Mad Swim Around Britain

Fundraising campaign by Paula McGuire
  • £2,828.00
    raised of £17,000.00 goal goal
16% Funded
48 Donors
Raised offline: £3,000.00
Total: £5,828.00

The campaign owner has stopped the page from accepting further donations. Please contact them if you'd still like to donate

Help this ongoing fundraising campaign by making a donation and spreading the word.
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I'm Paula, and I'm training to be the first person ever to swim around mainland Britain!

From April 2018, I'll be swimming in 5-6 hour shifts, day and night, for roughly 6 months, as I aim to be the first person ever to swim around mainland Britain.

I am taking on this crazy challenge to raise awareness of mental health issues, and raise funds for The Mental Health Foundation, as someone who spent 30 years suffering debilitating social anxiety and depression.

After trying out every other able route to recovery, only to end up virtually unable to leave my own home, I finally realised that the only road left was to find a way out of my comfort zone, and back into the world.

And so began a new life of physical and emotional challenges that have seen me standing atop planes, wrestling with Olympians and giving a TEDx talk; constantly challenging both the fear and myself to find out which is bigger. (It turns out, I am!). All to reach where I am today - preparing to swim all the way around mainland Britain.

Support

For this challenge, I am incredibly fortunate to be training with experts, including my Swim Director and coach, Robert Hamilton, and benefiting from the advice and support of Sean Conway: the only person ever to have swam from Land's End to John O'Groats.

I’m building a fantastic team of support crew to make this challenge a real success - and I'd love you to be part of that.

With your support, this swim will not only inspire others to challenge themselves, but will show all those who feel alone and controlled by their anxieties that they are part of something huge and full of adventure, and that they too have a place in that world.

Every penny we receive will go towards funding this massive six-month challenge, providing me and the team with the food, fuel, and seafaring supplies that will keep us going!

Be part of the team

Every week, 1 in 6 adults experiences a mental health issue. Maybe you know that one. Maybe you are that one. Either way, it's not hard to see why mental health awareness is a cause worth swimming for. The Big, Mad Swim Around Britain isn't only one woman's attempt to sink her own fears. It's a chance to start a conversation about mental health - and we'd love you to be part of it.

If you would like to help support Paula’s world-first swim, please back the project here on GoGetFunding.

You can also share this page to let your friends and co-workers know about The Big, Mad Swim Around Britain and how they too can support Paula.

Follow Paula and the team’s progress on Facebook, Twitter, or the website.

Please like, subscribe and share this page with your friends - and let's talk about mental health to the world.

Media coverage

Enjoy a video BBC News made about The Big, Mad Swim.

Hear Paula chat to BBC World Service about her swim.

Read about Paula's adventures in The National, and her latest challenge in i Magazine.

Watch Paula’s TEDx Talk.

Organizer

  • Paula McGuire
  •  
  • Campaign Owner

Donors

  • Gerry Chambers
  • Donated on Jun 06, 2018
  • Recurring Donation!
  • Go Paula! An amazing challenge but I am sure you will complete it. Best of luck!

£10.00
  • Gerry Chambers
  • Donated on May 06, 2018
  • Recurring Donation!
  • Go Paula! An amazing challenge but I am sure you will complete it. Best of luck!

£10.00
  • C Hall
  • Donated on May 02, 2018
  • From a CatZero participant helped by Maria - good luck to you both

£5.00

No updates for this campaign just yet

Donors & Comments

48 donors
  • Gerry Chambers
  • Donated on Jun 06, 2018
  • Recurring Donation!
  • Go Paula! An amazing challenge but I am sure you will complete it. Best of luck!

£10.00
  • Gerry Chambers
  • Donated on May 06, 2018
  • Recurring Donation!
  • Go Paula! An amazing challenge but I am sure you will complete it. Best of luck!

£10.00
  • C Hall
  • Donated on May 02, 2018
  • From a CatZero participant helped by Maria - good luck to you both

£5.00
  • Ian Longstaff
  • Donated on Apr 26, 2018
  • Go Paula!!

£8.00
  • Anonymous
  • Donated on Apr 20, 2018
Amount Hidden
  • Emma Morrison
  • Donated on Apr 16, 2018
  • Best of luck with this amazing adventure!

£10.00
  • Anonymous
  • Donated on Apr 13, 2018
  • Paula, only you! Ill be following your progress.such an insoiration! X

£10.00
  • Philip White
  • Donated on Apr 12, 2018
  • Heard about your plans last year on the radio and just realised it's all happening now. Hope all your training pays off, and that your journey is storm free.

£50.00
  • kelly hobbs
  • Donated on Apr 12, 2018
  • Full of admiration x

£10.00
  • Trigger Press Shaw Mind
  • Donated on Apr 08, 2018
  • The entire team at Trigger Press are very proud of you Paula, we will be cheering you on all the way. You are an inspiration to us all xx

£1000.00
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Followers

18 followers
Chrissy Hughes
Michelle Devey
Richard Sparkes
Marie Donnelly
Paul Wright
Emma Simmons
Louisina Donnelly
Maureen Glover
Rosalyn Claase
Suzanne Abbate
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£2,828.00
raised of £17,000.00 goal
16% Funded
48 Donors
Raised offline: £3,000.00
Total: £5,828.00

No more donations are being accepted at this time. Please contact the campaign owner if you would like to discuss further funding opportunities

Help this ongoing fundraising campaign by making a donation and spreading the word.

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