Elaine’s Story
I am a Brummie based in Brighton and Hove, I moved from London to the seaside in the third wave of the pandemic – Feb 2021 and I am a lawyer by trade but also a singer songwriter.
My friend Beth and I bonded quickly and when I heard about her diagnosis in about 2018, I started to talk to her family and friends in Worcester about fundraising for treatment. I embarked on training in Shoreham by Sea in March 2021 and completed two Olympic triathlons (West Bay and Seaford), alongside two 5k swims (Dock to Dock in London and the Adur River swim locally in Shoreham). It was strange as I didn’t know I was going to leave London when I signed up for the 5k swim, so the fundraising for Beth and Beth’s support to me during my life change became intertwined.
Beth had two rounds of treatment and lived until July 2024, much longer than her initial prognosis.
When she passed I felt like she had helped me on my way to my new life and was now at rest and although it was only a relatively short time, I felt a huge connection with her which will always stay with me.
Shortly before she passed away, Beth let me know that there were some Brighton Marathon places up for grabs to raise money for Ocular Melanoma UK. I had done a couple of marathons over 20 years ago (and vowed never to do one again), but during this time I had found a very chilled local jogging group and wanted to get active again after a period of feeling like a couch potato. I was also 49 in September 2024 and thought I could get back to events in my 50th year.
I fancied a kind of ‘megatriathlon’ and thought I could do the Brighton Marathon, the London to Brighton bike ride and another local river swim I hadn’t done yet. I signed up for everything but due to breaking my arm roller skating and a minor medical procedure both in Winter 24/25, I decided that I needed to defer the marathon. I did manage 2 half marathons, Finsbury Park in March and Worcester (nice to be in Beth’s home) in May, before the bike ride and the swim in June 25.
I got confirmation soon after that of my place in Brighton Marathon 26.
By Christmas 25 I had been thinking about another great event in Scandinavia, but the universe threw me something else. Some local swimmers were part of a six-woman team to do a relay Channel swim and had a drop out. I asked if I could do it and signed up before the end of last year.
After completing the marathon in April I have concentrated on swimming in the pool and in the sea with the team (called The Surfrajets) and our window to go from Dover to Calais is 29 July to 5 August.
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