'I'm doing this for mum' Meet the Leeds man taking the plunge to raise money after mum's dementia diagnosis
Meet the Leeds man who will swim the length of Lake Windemere for Young Dementia Leeds 🏊♂️
A man from Bramley whose mother has been diagnosed with early onset dementia will swim the length of Lake Windemere to support a charity which has been “absolutely incredible” for his family.
Shaun Cox will swim the entire 10.5 mile stretch of Lake Windemere in the Lake District on July 23 to raise money for Young Dementia Leeds.
The 40-year-old decided to take on the challenge to give back to the charity for the ongoing support they have provided through the Leeds Early Onset Dementia Hub.
“It’s been absolutely incredible. They give practical support and guidance but more than that, it’s a complete sense of community. They give real understanding and reassurance,” Shaun told the Yorkshire Evening Post.
“My dad’s said that without them, he’s not sure how he would’ve coped that’s how significant a role they’ve played in helping.”
Shaun’s mother Eileen was first diagnosed with early onset dementia in 2022 and it was news that came as a “complete shock” to the family who had never experienced dementia before.
Shaun said: “We never envisaged that it was going to be a dementia diagnosis and when that comes, you can’t help but look to the future because we all know what dementia does to people.
“It’s been a slow course over the last four years to get to where we are now - we’ve been lucky at this point because we’ve got time to spend together and create memories.”
Shaun hopes to raise money to help the hub upgrade its facilities so it can provide greater support to people affected by early onset dementia across Leeds.
“I decided that if I was going to do a charity event it had to be something very difficult, something that was really going to put me outside my comfort zone,” Shaun said.
“I figured that the harder it was, the more money we could raise.”
The insurance executive has never taken on a challenge like this before and is training by swimming 30-35 miles every week while balancing work and family life.
However, an unexpected difficulty has been the sheer difference between open water swimming and swimming indoors.
“When you’re in the open water, every time you pop up a wave will hit you in the face and can disorientate you,” Shaun said.
“On the larger lakes, you’ve also got an undertow that’s dragging across the water, plus swimming in a wetsuit weighs you back.
“You need to get used to the cold water too because the cold water is agony”.
Though Shaun anticipates the 10.5 mile swim will be challenging, he’s had strong support from friends, family, and colleagues, and already raised over £2,300.
As well as this, Shaun’s workplace Hiscox has promised to double any donations up to £2,500 through their charitable foundation The Hiscox Foundation.
Shaun said: “I think I’ve thanked every single person individually who’s donated so far. It’s honestly overwhelming and it makes such a difference.”
“I’m blown away.”
Shaun estimates that the Windemere swim will take nine hours and his loved ones are already planning how to best support him on the day.
His father Mick will follow him in a boat to provide much-needed snack supplies while his best friend Ryan will swim parts of the route with Shaun when he is flagging.
This challenge is far out of Shaun’s comfort zone but he hopes that it will raise vital funds for Young Dementia Leeds and create more conversations around early onset dementia too.
On the day itself, Shaun is looking forward to one thing most of all: crossing the finish line.
Shaun said: “I want to get over the line and see my mum waiting for me.
“I want that feeling to be as good as everything I’ve imagined.”
To donate to Shaun Cox’s fundraiser, visit his JustGiving page.