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Liam Lillico

November Swim Challenge

Help me reach my goal of £300

My Activity Tracking

34
kms

I'm taking part in the November Swim Challenge

I’m taking part in the November Swim Challenge for Dementia UK and raising funds for families affected by dementia. I would be grateful for your support.

I've decided to throw myself in at the deepend (not sorry, you're welcome in fact) and get back into swimming after 15+ years, general unfitness and the odd knee and back injury too, and set myslef a charitable goal of swimming 5K in November for Dementia UK. Perhaps not a groundbreaking distance, I'm setting myself that aim in the hopes of absolutely smashing past it, back and knee flareups inevitable.

Because my own crippling all-or-nothing self pressure isn't enough, I must also have the pressure of everyone that can spare some cash in the name of great cause and accountability.

I've been hella unfit and staying in my lane (another, less obvious pool pun for you there) for forever, so I'm not only challenging myself physically, but mentally in terms of feeling comfortable in my skin in a pool setting and taking these tig ol' bitties for some lengths.

That's where you come in, (hopefully) and act a bit like a pool noodle along the way; helping me and keeping me above water in the name of charity. I, along with many, will have some expirence with Dementia in some way, or likely will. So any money that can go to help, is money well spent in my eyes.

I'm told £33 could fund an hour with a dementia specialist Admiral Nurse, helping a family with practical solutions and emotional support. With that in mind, if I can try and get to around 6 hours of nursing time, that's about £200. So, I come to you rattling my virual begging bucket and ask that if you can: you donate. Any money I can lap (👀) up is massively appreicated.

Big love! Stay groovy, stay buoyant baby xo

Please Help Me
Reach My Goal

Raised

£491 + £105.25 GiftAid

My Goal

£300

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My Achievements

Reached 5K

Shared Page

Updated Profile Pic

Added a Blog Post

You've Self Donated!

Received 5 Donations

Reached Fundraising Goal

Increased Target

Distance Badge Earned

Distance Reached

My Updates

10 prunes for 10K!

Sunday 30th Nov
I'VE DONE IT! I've somehow managed it. Aimed for 5k across the month. Somehow managed 10k.... well, 11.5k technically! Very chuffed with myself. Thanks to everyone that has donated - you're all mint!

5 pruney fingers for 5k (plus)

Wednesday 19th Nov
I'm almost at 8K now and headed for 10k!

5 pruney fingers for 5k (plus)

Wednesday 19th Nov
Writing this on International Men's Day.

Being a man is weird. Incredibly privileged in oh so many ways, and incredibly pressurising in many others. 

2025 has been a big shift for me in terms of fitness and exercise and while life changing for me, I'd rather focus on two men who have completely blown my tiny mind...

First and foremost, a gent named Adam Richardson, glorious human and PT extraordinaire. He is sunshine in human form and while he is 'the man', he doesn't ever come at anything with a bravado or ego. He created a community called the Bendy and Buttery Club (BBC) and I've been in it since it started and it has been pure joy since. It is community, it is energy and it is encouragement. Adam has reframed what being man in the 'exercise world' can be and is. It is now something I like (most of the time) and most notably, a space I feel like I'm allowed to be in. Follow him on Instagram @ AdamRichardson and you'll see instantly what I mean. 

He, and the BBC (not that one) are the reason I've gotten back into swimming for the first time in 15 years, and I am so utterly beyond happy they gently and lovingly bullied me into the pool, because it has unearthed my joy for it get healthier in the process.

And then theres the next guy. I don't actually know his name. While still working on not wanting to be perceived or deemed 'in the way' in exercise spaces, this man I still don't know the name of shared a lane with me in the pool and engaged with me and was just ace. Totally put my mind at ease. Didn't come at me with the arrogance or judgement I feared and was anxiety ridden over. Chatted to me, dropped some wisdom, finished his laps and went.

I literally turned around at the bottom of the lane in the pool and the wisdom dropping man was gone, like something out of a film!

I've hit my target of 5K in November, and i'm now aiming for 10K instead. I also reached my fundraising goal, but any donations are still important and will make a huge difference.

Stay groovy, stay bouyant bebeeee! Xo

Sink or swim

Wednesday 5th Nov
For my first mini blog update thingy mjiggy, I'll catch you up to speed: I've hit 30 this year and realised I need to get my shit together in terms of fitness. Can I say that on here? We'll find out.

This is the as a abridged version of this as I can make it: this year I've changed a lot. I've lot a lot of weight and just gotten generally more bendy and buttery. Cut to becoming stronger and all that jazz, and then being gently (lovingly) bullied to get over myself and get these tig ol' bitties in the pool.. can I say that on here? Again, we'll find out. I got back in the pool and started swimming for the first time in over 15+ years (turns out you don't retain the ability you had as a child to be part merman)

But, I did it. Ever the people pleaser! Because I then don't know how to do anything by halves, I signed up to raise money for this good cause. I, as many of us all will, will have some expirence with dementia in some form, at some point. If riaising and donating money can help make that the tiniest bit better, if feels worth it.

Everyone loves a dramatic twist right? Well, right as I signed up for this challenge, I found I'd done something to my back. I'm no stranger to back pain, but this was in a new area and was likely as a direct result of my starting to swim. I didn't know if I'd be able to commit and put the pressure on myself of trying to hit a goal. Buuut, after a week off from it, and taking my other workout stuff easy, I dipped my toe (and rest of my body) back in the pool last night and it went so bloody good!

I hoped to push myself to do 50 laps and see how I felt. In the end, I did 90!! I'd have probably rounded the 100 mark, but I had two really nice interactions with some guys in the pool and it made me cry a bit so put me off my game. 

Anyways, all this to say, that pool vist last night was sink or swim and I SWAAAMMMM! 

Please donate if you can, that would be ace.

Big love. Stay groovy, stay buoyant!

Thank you to my Sponsors

£69

Adam Richardson

Proud of ya LL Cool J

£33

Taylor

Paying my.own wage for an hour hehehe! GOOD LUCK xo

£33

Anonymous

Let's do this bebeeee

£33

Bethany May Webster

£20

Anonymous

Go Liam!!

£20

Claire F

Way to go Liam . Good luck. Love Finny xx

£20

Anna James

Latchmere - the Maccabees, great song and full of pool puns so I'm being lazy go listen to that Love you, you'll smash it

£20

Mam & Mick

Well done you 👍👍

£20

Mark Murray

Swim Liam, Swim.

£20

Mark Dibble

Well done Liam!

£19

Sandra Guy

Well done Liam, super achievement.

£19

Nicole Mamuji

Gwarrrrn ya silly goose x

£19

Alice Dunn

Smash it bby !!!!

£19

Emma Lewis

Big up the BBC dude! Smashing your regal tortoise self! Well done LL

£10

Helen O’donnell

Well done Liam!

£10

Joanne Raffo

Great cause Liam and brilliant challenge. Wishing you well and good luck for the journey Joanne

£10

Miranda Sykes

Well done Liam you’ve got this! 👏👏

£10

Jules Lloyd

You are an inspiration…good luck!

£10

Anonymous

£10

Shannon Pickerill

Congrats on smashing the challenge! You’ve done ace and it’s such an important charity to support. Big love! X

£10

Chrissie & Adam

£10

Deanna Baldwin

£10

Katie Newton

Well done Liam. Must be the goggles that got you through it 😊 love the newtons

£10

Laura Lillico

Well done Bro!

£10

Mrs Jane M Willis

WOW you've already nailed it my fellow B&B buddy 😎 So inspiring, keep going xx

£7

Lisbeth Nilsen

Just keep swimming, swimming, swimming...great job Liam!

£5

Maureen Handyside

Well done Liam

£5

Emily Marshall

Just keep swimming, just keep swiiimmming! Good luck Liam 🐠