Grandmother to swim the English Channel solo in support of Whittington Health Charity

This August, 57-year-old grandmother and open-water swimmer, Julie Botticello, will attempt an iconic endurance challenge: a solo swim across the English Channel, all to raise funds for Whittington Health Charity.

 

The English Channel is a 21-mile (33 km) crossing, but with tides and currents, swimmers often cover far more. It is considered one of the toughest endurance swims in the world. More people have climbed Mount Everest than have swum the English Channel.

 

Julie will start off in Dover and swim, without a wetsuit, to Cap Gris-Nez, France, a journey that could take anywhere from 12 to 20 hours in cold, choppy water.

 

Julie’s motivation is deeply personal. In 2022, her then three-year-old granddaughter was hospitalised multiple times at Whittington Hospital with severe respiratory illnesses, including pneumonia and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV).

 

 

 

 

Thanks to the lifesaving care provided by Whittington Health’s paediatric team, her granddaughter overcame both illnesses and has since taken up swimming herself.

 

The family also acknowledges the role the hospital’s outdoor play area played in lifting her granddaughters’ spirits.

 

The outdoor play area was just one project on the ward funded by Whittington Health Charity, and they are currently working to fundraise for more transformative upgrades, including:

A life-long swimmer, Julie has been in intensive training for her Channel swim for the past 9 months. Since the beginning of 2025, she has swum over 500 miles.

 

Julie said, “During repeated hospital stays, the outdoor play area helped my granddaughter regain her strength. It was a lifeline. The Charity funded that space, and now they’re doing even more to improve the children’s ward.

“I’m swimming to give back, and to show all children, including my grandchildren, that the sky’s the limit when it comes to overcoming adversity.

 

“This swim is for my granddaughter, for every child who finds themselves in hospital, and for the Whittington staff and Charity team who make recovery just that bit more human and hopeful.”

Selina Douglas, CEO of Whittington Health NHS Trust said, “Any donation big or small is so appreciated and helps to contribute to a much calmer, and relaxing environment for our youngest patients. A big thank you for Julie, for going the extra mile for Whittington Health.”

To support Julie’s swim and donate to Whittington Health Charity, visit Julie's Just Giving page.