Hi, my name is Charlotte I am a deaf swimmer. I am currently the fastest female S15 category short and middle distance swimmer in the UK and have competed at both the Aquatic GB Swimming Championships and the English Swimming Championships, making finals in both.

This year marks the 100th year anniversary of the Deaflympics. The 2025 Deaflympics will be held in Tokyo, Japan in November. I have been selected to represent GB at the games which is a great honour! However, unfortunately elite deaf athletes do not receive any Government or Lottery funding (unlike Olympic or Paralympic athletes). This means myself and my team mates have to raise funds ourselves to cover all the costs of competing internationally - competition fees, travel, food, kit, coaches, physio, accommodation etc. For context, the UK government has allocated £344 million to support athletes in preparation for the LA games. This does not include the immense funding given by the National Lottery. Deaflympics GB receive nothing.

UK Deaf Sport and GB Deaf Swimming are working hard to fundraise. In addition, myself and my team mates are also trying to raise the profile of deaf sport and get athletes the recognition and support they deserve.

Although I am training hard for upcoming competitions, I also plan to fundraise by doing a sponsored swim. It is approximately 9,500 km from London to Tokyo, therefore I plan to swim 9.5 km in the summer (hopefully) in approximately 3 hours. While I train around 12 hours a week in a pool, I am not a distance swimmer so this is going to be a big challenge. I am hoping some of my team mates from Rugby Swimming Club and my family will join me for a few lengths to keep me going! Please sponsor me if you can.

Charlotte :)