Football legend Graeme Souness has revealed he is going to tackle the biggest challenge of his life - swimming the English Channel.
The Rangers, Liverpool and Scotland hero, who has just turned 70, will attempt the daring feat next month in a bid to raise £1.1m to stop the pain of epidermolysis bullosa (EB). Graeme’s gutsy swim has been inspired by brave 14-year-old EB sufferer Isla Grist, whose fragile “butterfly wing” skin blisters and tears at the slightest touch.
The former Rangers and Liverpool manager, who will attempt the Channel crossing on June 18 as part of a team of six, said: “Over the past few years I have spent a lot of time with courageous Isla and her family and have seen first-hand the extreme pain this devastating incurable condition causes and the daily challenges it creates for them.
“I wanted to do something that could make a difference to Isla’s life and to the lives of so many others living with EB so when the slightly crazy idea of swimming the English Channel was suggested last year I thought, ‘why not?’”
Graeme, who lives in Poole, Dorset, has spent the last nine months training for the challenge and admits it’s been a whole lot tougher than he first imagined.
Souness, who grew up in Edinburgh, said: “Despite living by the sea for the past 16 years I had never been in it but that has all changed. I’ve been training three or four times a week for the past nine months building up my stamina.
“I learned to swim in Dalry Baths and Portobello Swimming pool. I thought I was quite a good swimmer until I started preparing for this and realised I wasn’t.
“Fortunately I’ve had a brilliant ex-military guy training me and he’s had me in the water come rain, hail or shine, even in the winter. I think I am as ready as I will ever be.”
He added: “There will be six of us tackling the 22 mile crossing including Isla’s dad Andy. We will each be in the water for around three hours and we are hoping to complete it in around 16 hours.
“I am definitely the weakest link but I am determined to complete the crossing to raise awareness and money for DEBRA - the charity which supports sufferers.
“No matter how tough it gets or how choppy the water, all I will have to do is think of Isla and that will spur me on. Compared to her daily battles, swimming the Channel is nothing.”
Graeme, who is vice president of DEBRA, became involved with the charity five years ago after hearing about the painful life-limiting condition for the first time at a dinner.
Since then he has raised more than £500,000 and has become close to Isla and her family, who live in the Black Isle, near Inverness.
Souness, who was capped 54 times for Scotland, said: “Isla inspires me every time I am in her company. She has courage and bravery on a completely different level to anything I have ever witnessed. She is in constant pain but always smiling.
“Isla is such an impressive young woman. She is smart, funny and so courageous and strong that she makes you feel pretty average about yourself.
“You take a look at her and think, ‘I’m not such a strong character after all’.
“I have six kids and she makes me realise how lucky I am that they are all perfectly healthy. I cannot begin to imagine what it is like for the parents of EB sufferers.
Souness, who played in three World Cups, added: “As a mum or dad, you want to take away their excruciating pain and not have them hurt anymore but you can’t. I’ve had conversations with Isla’s dad Andy about this and it is heartbreaking.
“That’s why it is so important that we raise as much as we can to try and ease the pain of EB sufferers. Money is needed to clinically test drugs already available within the NHS that could radically improve their quality of life. I would do anything to take away Isla’s pain so bring on the English Channel.”
Isla said: “My Dad was not the best swimmer before he agreed to swim the English Channel with Graeme for DEBRA.
“Dad’s been training hard in the sea and pool, including through a tough Scottish winter, and I’m so proud of him and Graeme for pushing themselves like this to try and help raise awareness of EB.
“EB is brutal, trust me, and we need as many people as possible to join the fight to stop the pain of EB.”
- To sponsor Graeme and the team’s English Channel swim please visit www.give.as/DEBRAswim
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