A KEEN swimmer is on target to swim 300 miles by Christmas as part of a fundraising challenge in memory of his wife who died of cancer.

Will Crosby, a retired educationalist and part-time carer, is asking for help to boost his sponsorship effort in aid of Cancer Research UK. He is continuing the fundraising started by his late wife Harriet in 2008, when she planned to run the London Marathon for the charity during her battle against the disease.

The former special school headteacher, who lives in Horrabridge, is aiming to complete the 300th mile of his Land’s End to John O’ Groats swim challenge, which is 837 miles in total, at Meadowlands swimming pool at the end of December – which will put him theoretically between Birmingham and Manchester.

With the support of the Fusion lifeguard and management team at Meadowlands, Will has been swimming 25 miles a month since the beginning of January 2024.

He said: “I’m continuing the fundraising drive that Harriet started when battling cervical cancer in 2009. Her aim was to complete the Flora London Marathon to raise money for Cancer Research UK via her Just Giving page. Sadly the disease overtook her quest and she died from the disease in November 2010.”

Will’s daughters Thea and Rosie Crosby have helped their dad raise £4,248 for their mum’s chosen charity. They hope to at least double this amount by Will’s deadline to finish his swim of December 2026. The three went on a sponsored walk together on Drake’s Trail in 2021 which raised £1,000.

Will, who supports a man with learning difficulties, said: “I’m very pleased with my progress and the bonus is I’ve lost weight, got fitter and met lots of lovely people who are also swimming regularly at Meadowlands - it’s a friendly community which helps be keep going as well as the emotional side of this.”

Harriet’s Just Giving page says: “As you know 2008 has been a difficult year for me – to put it mildly. However, having been given the all-clear in September and amazed my consultants along the way with my tenacity and determination to get better I decided to put those skills to work in a different direction!! It was time to give something back by raising funds for Cancer Research UK – without whom the prognosis for me would have been so much worse.

“If beating cancer isn't enough of a personal challenge I decided to set myself another (almost more daunting!!) challenge that of running 26.2 miles!! I am 40 in 2009 and felt that if ever there was a year to run the Flora London Marathon this would be it.”

Teacher Harriet, who died aged 41, said she could only cope with the cancer treatment by thinking of her daughters – “it is for them that I fought cancer and for them that I run the London Marathon – to show them that anything is possible if you want it enough.”

Anyone wanting to support Will is asked to donate at Harriet’s Just Giving page:

Harriet, Will.Crosby's late wife with daughters Thea and Rosie.
Harriet, Will.Crosby's late wife, with daughters Thea and Rosie. (Submitted)
Will Crosby and daughters Rosie and Thea when they were much younger.
Will Crosby and daughters Rosie and Thea when they were much younger. (Submitted)
Will Crosby is raising money in memory of his former wife Harriet (pictured) who died of cancer.
Will Crosby is raising money in memory of his late wife Harriet (pictured) who died of cancer. (Tindle)
Will Cosby is swimming the equivalent distance between Horrabridge and Cardiff in memory of his ex-wife Harriet who died of cancer.
Will Cosby is swimming the equivalent distance of the length of Britain in memory of his late wife Harriet who died of cancer. (Tindle)