Whitby swimmer raises £2,400 for MND Association - almost five times her original target

Emma Thornsby, of St Hilda’s Court, had originally planned to swim five miles and raise £500, but then doubled her target, and her swim.

She said: “I decided that I would fund raise for Motor Neurone disease because it’s a cause close to my heart.

"I started to swim again in February and needed motivation to keep it going.

"When I rang the fundraising line for assistance, they asked how much I hoped to raise and I said £200 to 300.

"Their suggestion was to set my target at £500.

"To have achieved almost five times that is absolutely mind-blowing and overwhelming.

"I’m so grateful for all the support, not just financial but also the people who have encouraged me while swimming and in my downtime, making sure I have days off when I become a bit obsessional about it.

"My swimming has been so good for both my mental and physical health and I’m determined to keep it up, although not quite as regimented and I won’t be asking for any more sponsorship for a good while now.

"Thank you again for all your support.”

Until February, Emma hadn’t swum at all for four years, managing 26 lengths a couple of times, but then needed a week off due to a nasty fall and she built herself up from there.