A man from East Dulwich will swim 32km across the English Channel to raise money for an LGBTQ rights charity.
Jonny Ratcliffe, 31, will take on the biggest challenge of his life next month by swimming one of the most challenging open-water swims in the world.
The 32km (21 mile) route across the Channel will see him take on deceptively powerful tides, cross one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes and dodge an unwelcome number of jellyfish.
Some have even dubbed it “the Everest of swimming.”
The crossing can last anywhere between ten to seventeen hours and the rules are strict. Swimmers may not wear wetsuits or have any physical contact with another person or accompanying boat throughout the swim.
While at school Jonny had been a keen swimmer, competing at county level for Cheshire. He later got back into swimming as part of a recovery from a slipped disc in 2021.
The recovery training soon became training for the English Channel and for the last couple of years, he has been training with Red Top Performance to get ready.
As part of the training, Jonny has competed in a number of competitions and challenges so far this year, including a three-person relay of the English Channel and a 15km race across Torbay back in July.
Jonny is raising money for Stonewall, a charity that campaigns for the rights of LGBTQ+ people everywhere. On his JustGiving Page, it states: “Stonewall imagines a world where all LGBTQ+ people are free to be ourselves and can live our lives to the full.” He has raised over £2,000 so far.
Commenting on the challenge ahead Jonny said: “I’m hugely excited and nervous. It’s going to be a significant mental and physical test but I’m determined to do it and raise as much money for Stonewall as possible in the process.
“I’ve been training hard for the past couple of years and I’m grateful for the support of my partner, friends, family, and Red Top Performance, and am looking forward to getting out there.”