Athlete completes 16-hour charity swim after overcoming spinal injury

Just this week Wokingham resident Hannah Evans completed an extraordinary 16-hour charity swimming challenge at the Aspire Leisure Centre in Stanmore. Hannah swam the equivalent distance of the English Channel (22 miles) in a single day to raise funds for Aspire, a UK charity supporting people with spinal cord injuries.

Hannah, who had been training for an Ironman 70.3 triathlon, fractured her spine in a cycling accident in July. Undeterred, she channelled her energy into the Aspire Channel Swim challenge, initially aiming to complete the 22-mile distance over 12 weeks. However, she decided to further challenge herself by swimming the entire distance in one day. Since the challenge started in September, she has swum a total of 124km.

Hannah said: “I’m fortunate that my accident wasn’t more serious, and I wanted to help those who aren’t as lucky. This challenge was about focusing on what I could do, despite the obstacles.”

Starting at 9am on 24th November, Hannah swam an incredible 1360 lengths, finishing at 3:30am the following morning. Supported by Aspire staff, family, and friends, she has raised over £2,000 for the

charity. Hannah expressed her gratitude to Aspire, particularly Paul Parrish, Director of Fundraising

& Marketing, and the entire Aspire Leisure Centre team as well as her husband, Sam Handley, the

ultimate support “plan man” for their unwavering support in making the event possible.

Hannah credits her success to a combination of factors, including a dedicated training plan developed with coach Jennie Jones of Tribirdsports Coaching and a meticulous nutrition strategy designed by high-performance nutritionist Claire Fudge of 4th Discipline.

Jennie said: “Hannah’s achievement is a testament to her determination and resilience. This incredible feat shows how mindset and focus can lead to amazing accomplishments. Supporting athletes like Hannah through challenges and helping them adapt to setbacks is what I love most about coaching.”

Claire added: “A solid fuelling strategy supports both physical and mental performance. There are

three things that ensure success 1. Setting goals that almost seem unobtainable and exciting. 2.

Having an ABC plan for fuelling a big event/expedition. 3. Mindset – make sure you can visualise what

keeps you going. I’m incredibly proud of Hannah for completing her Aspire Channel Swim challenge –

an awesome result and come-back from a spinal injury!”

If you would like to donate to Hannah’s Aspire Channel Swim challenge, please go to https://www.aspirechannelswim.co.uk/fundraising/hannah-swims-the-channel-and-back

Katy Boyd, who manages the Aspire Channel Swim said: “Every year amazing swimmers all over the

UK go to great lengths for Aspire. Over the past 24 years the Aspire Channel Swim has raised over £7

million for people paralysed by Spinal Cord Injury, which helps Aspire support thousands of people

annually – something we’re hugely proud of. Anyone can take part in the challenge, regardless of

ability and we love to see people taking part in different ways. For Hannah to swim 22 miles in one

day is a fantastic achievement!”

Find out more about the Aspire Channel Swim: www.aspirechannelswim.co.uk

Find out more about Aspire: www.aspire.org.uk

Writer Jacky Hayler 

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