Adrian swims across Dover Harbour - July 2011

Newsletters Press releases Events Limb Reconstruction Awareness at Christmas time Carol Concert at St Mark's, 10 December 2011 Marathon 'Cake n Book' raises £1,552 for our Heroes KCH LRT - 'Team Cake' raises £1,405.00 - September 2011

Mark Phillips completes L'Etape du Jour - July 2011 First bike ride success - July 2011 Cakes and books raise £411 - July 2011 Golf Day raises £17,000 - May 2011 Carol concert - December 2010 Cakes bring in the dough - February 2011 Charlton Athletic FC collection - November 2010 Cake n Brac sale - August 2010 Wine tasting in mayoral suite - April 2010 Cake n Brac sale - March 2010 Visit to Darwin's home and Christmas concert 2009 Cake sale December 2009 Limb reconstruction team win WellChild Award 2009 Open Day 2009 Open Day 2008 Cake sale 2008 Easter 2009

Adrian and the swimmers

Adrian being helped out of the water at the end of the swim On Sunday 3 July 2011 Adrian Heathfield achieved one of his greatest ambitions, to swim 1500m front crawl across Dover Harbour while wearing a Taylor Spatial frame (an external fixator).

Adrian, a limb reconstruction patient at King’s for the past eight years, believes he may be the only person in a frame to take part in an open water swim. Over the past year he has had to put up with a series of setbacks, but his determination never faltered.

“The sense of achievement is why I push myself,” he said. “I completed the swim in 40 minutes 14 seconds, but the best thing is that I was healthy enough to take part. I try to live for now and not wait for when my leg is sorted out. I am not saying it is easy but it is better than waiting around!”

He explained that the 45-minute build up to the swim, the getting ready and the safety talk were hard. He said: “Once in the water I was fine. The first 750 metres were tough to get into a rhythm and I zigzagged too much, but I found a good rhythm for the 750 coming back. I wasn't worried about doing the distance because I can always go as far as I need to, you just keep going.”

Adrian is grateful to everyone from the charity, his family and those who have treated him over the years at King’s. He hopes to have raised in the region of £300 for KCH LRT.

Adrian and his parents Adrian’s parents were among those who had come to Dover to support him. His father raised £21 from a collection among onlookers on the beach, while his mother had the shock of her life – discovering that Adrian had the word Serenity tattooed on his stomach. She had never seen the tattoo until her son removed the top of his wetsuit. “It made me laugh,” said Adrian. “I’ve had the tattoo for 12 months, but the only people who knew were an ex-girlfriend and staff in the operating theatre.”

Adrian and Tony Bertin In addition to friends from Ashford Tri Club, others there to support Adrian were trust co-chairman Tony Bertin, his wife and trustee Penny, clerk Karen Sherris and her family, and the Siblings Only swimmers who are training for their Channel Crossing in aid of the trust and another King’s charity.

Adrian also met Philip Rutt, a trustee of the Dover Water Sports centre who provided the safety boat for the open air swim. For years DWS has been making it possible for disadvantaged and disabled people to go sailing but is actively seeking further funding to save it from closing at the end of the season.