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Alek Glabinski

November Swimming Challenge 2025

Help Alek raise £175!

My Activity Tracking

9
kms

My target 10 kms

I’m swimming in November for families facing baby loss

I’ve committed to swimming this November for every much-loved baby sadly not here today.

Sands ensure that everyone affected by the loss of a baby gets the support they need and deserve when facing the toughest of times. They campaign for change, provide training for midwives and healthcare professionals, and support research so that fewer babies die and so that less families experience the tragedy of losing their baby. Anything you are able to donate means so much.

Thank you.

Please Help Me
Reach My Goal

Raised

£306 + £19.92 GiftAid

My Goal

£175

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My Achievements

Updated Profile Picture

Donated to myself

Shared page

Received First Donation

First swim logged

Received 10 donations

Increased Fundraising Target

Completed it!

My Updates

Déjà vu

Tuesday 25th Nov
It's happening again 

Was meant to be straightforward 
Just a few visits at the pool, straight for the goal.

Once again it's harder for reasons that we're not meant to be there. 

We all got ill for 2 full weeks. 
Kids still recovering. 

Once again it's my wife that does all the heavy lifting. This time it's taking care of ill kids and me, while being ill herself. 

With multiple visits at the doctor's, and worsening symptoms. Once again using her gift of motivation and unbreakable spirit to plow through. Being the strongest when everything aims to weaken her, adding to the weight to be carried. Even the cured by physiotherapy damages are awakening the chronic pain again, due to no time to rest or take care of herself.

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Last time it was years of fighting the system, to then go private but still finding out ways to assist the doctors who applied default treatment where additional tests and adjustments were the answer, which we found out thanks to my wife's hours of research, then stressful successful but nearly tragic delivery followed by having to go through PALS to get any treatment beyond stronger painkillers, heading towards sepsis as we found out after pushing and supporting ourselves with private scans. 

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Someone would think my wife is just a housewife and superb cook. But not many have the chance to experience the volumes of knowledge and drive to constantly problem solve and develop that she constantly increases. Making impossible, possible in a way that looks easy, without a single complaint, focused on the end goal while nearly automatically taking care of the daily routine nearly solely by herself.

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Just like the last time,
There is still a chance to reach the target,
It will just take everything and maybe a bit more at the very end. 

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Doing the challenge and reading more about SANDS and what they do is so empowering that at the end of the challenge we might feel brave enough visit the hospital for the first time, to visits the little angels ashes. 

The idea of focusing on work through the hardest times is still something we recommend, even if it feels like something needs to be done, but there comes time when emotions quieten down, and the past stories can have an end, for the new ones to be written. 

Little steps

Saturday 8th Nov
The first 10 minutes felt like I am about to faint... But then it all just felt easier once I slowed down, and got used to the feeling of the cold water on the hot face. 

Removing the swimming cap also helped to cool down. 

 I have calculated that my limit is 2km per hour if I get the chance to come alone 

But! Having someone swim in front forces me to less stops compared to swimming solo as I need to keep up so maybe I just need a faster opponent. 

Family effort

Monday 3rd Nov

Incredibly special day thanks to support of my family this weekend.


To join me, my kids and brother undertook a fantastic one-hour walk to the Leisure Centre. 

This journey of commitment mirrored the dedication needed for the challenge itself! 


The walk was a treat, bathed in surprise sunshine. We were also blessed with a parade of motorbikes and yellow convertibles including a very rare T-Top Lotus!


We arrived an hour early to ensure my youngest, who hasn't had many opportunities to swim, had plenty of time to acclimatize. 


We took advantage of the centre's library and viewing area before even dipping a toe.


The initial shock of the pool's warm, humid air upon entering the viewing area gave the little one pause, but any apprehension soon melted away.


The time in the water was memorable!

I managed my planned 500m warm-up in the first and last ten minutes. However, the most touching part was "swimming" the second 500m with my youngest, held securely-ish in my hands.


 Thankfully, his initial nervousness was gone quickly, and he enjoyed the experience with the teenagers that accompanied us from the start 


This family partnership truly highlighted the spirit of this campaign a collective effort, commitment, and making the most of every moment.



10k for 10 years

Tuesday 7th Oct
10+ years of small and big steps have gotten us where we are. The price to be where we are was beyond what we could have imagined. With all the knowledge gathered during the process we can say we were able to complete our journey, but the journey showed us that some things are not possible without taking things into your own hands as no one will take the time and help you better than you yourself. This requires a lot of work. And if you stay strong throughout it, you might notice looking back, that you would have never imagined yourself being able to complete even a fraction of what needed to be done. We are thankful for what we have. This year is the end of the journey for us, which was many years longer than we expected, and much bumpier and scarry. It left a lot of memories that we hope will fade so we can replace them with a lot of new, positive ones. 

Thank you to my Sponsors

£106

Infection Matters Ltd

Breathe

£103.60

Midland Computers

Good luck Alek.

£53.32

Mrs Amy Davies

What an amazing charity. Good luck Alek

£11.33

Jenny Flegg

£11.33

Kevin Thorner

Well done

£7

Kane

£6.11

Tom Asquith

£3.33

Jo Fav

£1.69

Sam G

:3

£1

Bfg

£1

Anonymous

Our Team