In October 2024 I made a decision that surprised even me.

I decided I wanted to start swimming competitively.

I have always loved the water. I grew up around it, and being in the sea or in a pool has always brought me a sense of calm. But I had never actually competed before.

I didn’t know whether I would focus on open water or Masters competitions. I had no real plan.

I just knew I wanted to swim.

So I put my head down and started training.

In January 2025 I entered my first competition. In fact, I learned how to dive the day before the race. That was my first Masters swimming event, and it felt like jumping into a completely new world.

From there I just kept going.

Throughout the year I competed in eight Masters competitions, slowly improving my times with every race. Training became a daily commitment and a lesson in perseverance and grit.

Alongside the pool races, I also entered four open water events, where I was fortunate enough to win a gold and a silver.

There were setbacks too. I recently competed in the Spanish Masters Championships while recovering from a two month injury. But the journey kept moving forward.

And now something incredible has happened.

I have qualified for the European Masters Swimming Championships in Slovakia this August.

I will compete in three events:

50m freestyle

100m freestyle

200m freestyle

For me, this is about much more than swimming.

It has been a very tough year personally, and the water has given me something incredibly important during that time. Clarity, focus and strength.

Swimming became the place where I could reset, breathe and keep moving forward.

Competing at the European Masters Championships would be an incredible milestone in this journey.

International competitions come with real costs including travel, accommodation, competition fees, equipment and training preparation.

The estimated core cost of competing is about €3,400.

To cover travel uncertainty, preparation and platform fees, the fundraising goal is €5,000.

Every contribution helps bring me one step closer to the start line in Slovakia.

Thank you for being part of the journey.

Claire

Barcelona