No 160: Save your admiration/pity (delete as appropriate) for Shaunna…

On Sunday 19^th Feb I am doing a 10km sea-swim in Haiti. Long-time followers of this blog will recall that this is an annual event in my calendar. This year the swim is worryingly 3km longer than previous years. It is organised by Jim Chu, one of the most inspirational, hard-working and socially-minded entrepreneurs on the planet. Jim is the CEO for dlo Haiti Inc, a water kiosk business that provides water to the rural population in Haiti. Isle proudly supports dlo Haiti through REEF, the Isle ‘foundation’ which offers financial assistance to water-sector entrepreneurs in developing countries.

In previous years I have been joined in this swim by both colleagues from Isle and my sons. Indeed, last year Tim Day, MD for Isle Australia, led the pack, completing the 7km swim in an impressive 2hrs 47 minutes. I came 4^th (8 minutes after Tim), pleased simply to have avoided the jellyfish that blighted the previous years’ event, nor attracted interest from the local shark population. It is always good to get out of the water with both arms and legs still intact. 

It is well known that at a certain age many men go through a period of madness. Fast cars and affairs are not my thing so I have opted instead to ‘do something physically extreme’ in the vain hope it will prove my fading masculinity isn’t really fading, and might even give my life purpose. When this years’ event was announced I reached out to my colleagues and family to invite them to participate. There was the initial rush of enthusiasm. Buoyed by great intentions we quickly had a party of 7 joining me in my own personal mid-life tragedy. However, steadily the enthusiasm dissolved away and now the Isle representation has shrunk to just myself and Shaunna Cubberley, the marketing manager in Isle’s London office. 

Shaunna is not doing this to prove her physical resilience. Her motivation is pure and righteous. She is raising funds for the local charity Watering Minds, which provides clean, safe water to local schools. Neither is she is a sporting fanatic. Indeed, shortly after she committed to participate she visited her local swimming baths for a training session. Somewhat cruelly her teacher informed her she swam like a chicken. I have checked my sources: chickens don’t swim. 

I exaggerate of course. What her teacher actually said was that one of her arms was ‘like a chicken wing’, unable to fully extend. The odds on her swimming in a series of ever decreasing circles are surprisingly high. 

So please don’t feel either sympathy or admiration for me. I don’t deserve it. However please give Shaunna the support she deserves. She could have joined her other Isle colleagues and found an excuse to drop out. While they gradually melted away she stuck to it, resolutely and bravely determined to see it through, chicken wing or not. Drop her an email to wish her well (shaunna.cubberley@isleutilities.com). Or even better, contribute to her masterful fund-raising efforts here.  (https://www.generosity.com/medical-fundraising/watering-minds-a-water-for-schools-programme)

To redeem my own wretched, inexcusable failure to set up a sponsoring page I will joyfully match the first £2k of contributions made to her. Go on, contribute. You know she deserves it.