I joined Roedean in Year 7 as a club pool swimmer, and joining the sea-swimming sessions opened up a completely new side of the sport for me. We began training to become Roedean’s first English Channel Relay team, which I was proud to be part of in Year 9. That achievement inspired me to complete my Channel Solo in Year 12, something I would never have believed possible without Roedean’s support. The school gave me the coaching, structure, and confidence to train at a level I hadn’t imagined.

Some of my favourite memories are the moments that bonded us as swimmers: wrapped in sleeping bags after icy early-morning sessions, shivering and barely able to speak, yet still encouraging one another through it. Arriving at school slightly blue but knowing we had already achieved something before lessons even began created a unique sense of pride.

Roedean shaped not only my swimming, but also my resilience and belief in what I can achieve.