Mark Sounthararajah

Making Progress: Swim 7 🏊‍♂️

After work on Monday 27th October, I went back to the London Aquatics Centre for Swim 7 and managed to cover 2.6 km in about an hour and a half. That’s 52 lengths of the 50 m competition pool. Thankfully, the showers were fixed this time, so there was hot water again, thank God.

I averaged a pace of 2:43 per 100 m, which is slightly slower than Friday’s swim but to be expected with the longer distance and fatigue building up over time. I’m now up to 7.4 km out of my 8 km challenge for Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity, meaning I’ve completed 92.5% of the distance. Amazingly, I didn’t get a single cramp this time, which felt like a small victory in itself.

I also found out that Legal & General matches up to £500 in donations per employee per calendar year, which makes it perfect that my target is £500. Knowing that every pound raised could effectively be doubled makes the effort feel even more worthwhile.

A special shout out to my best friend Rishi, who has taken pole position on the fundraiser and helped push it to 80% of the new target. That means there is just £100 left to reach £500 by the end of October.

Looking back at how I started, it is amazing to see how my endurance and confidence in the water have grown with each session. Thank you again to everyone who has supported, donated, or shared my page, it has made every length that much more meaningful.

Each swim now feels lighter and more purposeful as I get closer to the finish line. Only 600 metres left to go. I am determined to finish strong and hit that 8 km mark before October ends. 💙

Late Night Laps: Swim 6 🏊‍♂️

On Sunday night, I went back to the London Aquatics Centre, this time in the competition pool. From 9 to 10 PM, I managed 36 lengths of 50 m, covering 1.8 km in total.

The place was basically a graveyard with almost no one there, which made it easier to focus but a bit eerie at times. I had a small cramp halfway through at around the 1 km mark, but it subsided and I carried on swimming until the pool closed at 10 PM.

It didn’t help that the showers were only cold, but that did encourage me to make it quick and get out of there.

That brings my cumulative total to 4.8 km, which means I’ve now passed the halfway mark and reached 60% of the 8 km challenge. It was a tiring but steady session, keeping a pace of around 2:40 per 100 m.

This was also my first swim using my Garmin Forerunner 255, which I was able to get through SmartTech™, an L&G benefit. It was great finally being able to see my stats properly, like in the screenshot above, and track each session in detail.

Each session is a reminder of why I’m doing this, and even on the quieter nights, I’m grateful to be part of something that supports the incredible work of Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity for children and families.

Feeling ready to push through the final stretch this week and finish strong. 💪

Making Waves: Swim 5 🏊‍♂️

After my swimming lesson on Friday 24th, I managed 40 lengths of the 25 m pool, which makes 1 km in total. I took it in intervals since it’s not like I’m competing against anyone. That brings my cumulative total to 3 km, or 3/8 of the challenge (37.5%).

I’m almost at the halfway mark with 7 days left, so I’m optimistic about meeting the 8 km target, hopefully without needing to sprint until my arms give out on Friday 31st.

Turning 25 on Monday 20th still hasn’t really sunk in, but I guess I am. If my cousin were still here, she would be studying for her GCSEs now. Life can be unpredictable, but I hope this challenge helps support more families and gives more children a chance to grow up healthy and happy.

I’m genuinely shocked, in the best way, to have reached £300 in donations after passing GOSH’s initial target of £225. Hopefully over the next week I can raise another £200 or more to reach the new £500 target. If that happens, Legal & General should match it with another £500 (I’ve already asked about the form I need to fill in), bringing the total to £1,000, which would be amazing to see.

A huge thank you to all my colleagues at Legal & General who’ve supported my GOSH Charity challenge. Special thanks to Shaun, our Head of Affordable Homes for the encouragement and generosity, which have meant a lot. I’m genuinely honoured he found my challenge inspiring after I quoted him in my earlier post.

Thank you also to my colleague and work buddy Tom for his support both in the office and for this great cause.

And a big thank you to my colleagues Gobi, Faisal, and John for your kind donations, and to Danielle and Divine, old friends from sixth form, for your generosity so many years on. It’s wonderful to see you both doing so well after all this time.

Every swim now feels more purposeful knowing how many people have come together to support GOSH Charity’s incredible work for children and families.

And yes, my goggles really are -8.0. Without them I can barely see the end of the pool, so if my eyes look a bit off in the photo, that’s probably why.

Finding My Rhythm: Swim 4 🏊‍♂️

After my swimming lesson on Friday 17 October, I stayed at the London Aquatics Centre for my fourth swim of the challenge. I did 20 lengths of the 25 m training pool without any cramps.

This time I focused entirely on breaststroke rather than my usual front crawl, which took a bit longer, especially with my stamina dipping after the lesson. Still, that’s another 500 m, or 0.5 km, bringing my cumulative total to 2 km, a quarter of the challenge completed.

With 2 weeks left, I’ll need to fit in a few more sessions to stay on track, but things are looking positive and I’m confident I can hit the target. Each session feels a little smoother than the last, and it still feels a bit surreal to find myself doing regular swims like this.

Ironically, the only cramp I got was in my right foot just as I was putting my socks on and about to leave.

A big thank you to both my younger brothers, who matched and even surpassed my own donation after hearing I was a quarter of the way through. I really appreciate the support and motivation.

Every swim helps me get a little stronger, and every donation continues to make a difference for children and families supported by Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity.

Small Steps, Steady Progress: Building Consistency (Swim 3) 🏊‍♂️

Making a Splash: Getting Out of My Comfort Zone for GOSH

I’m swimming 8km in October for GOSH Charity!

I’m challenging myself to swim 8km this October to raise money for Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity (GOSH Charity).

Childhood is special. It should be a time of joy, wonder, curiosity and fun. Of making friends, making mistakes, and growing into the adults we become. But it’s also fragile, and sometimes all too brief.

That’s why Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity raises funds to help give seriously ill children childhoods that are fuller, funner and longer. For the children from all over the UK who are treated by Great Ormond Street Hospital every day, for children with rare or complex illnesses everywhere, for this generation and all those to come. Because no childhood should be lost to serious illness.

And with every kilometre I swim, and every pound raised, we’ll be helping to give seriously ill children the best chance and the best childhood possible.

Please help me to achieve my goal by giving whatever you can; no amount is too small to make a difference.