A woman who braved a daily dip in the North Sea every day in December to raise funds to help find a cure for brain tumours has been hitting the headlines.
Katherine Davis was inspired to fundraise after losing a good friend to the disease. Lee Patterson passed away in November 2020 leaving his wife, Kathy, and their three sons, William, 23, Thomas, 22 and Michael, 20.
Beginning on 1st December, Katherine committed to dipping on each of the 31 days in the month for at least ten minutes braving low temperatures in an ordinary swimsuit. She also donned a different hat for each day, including a skateboarding helmet, pink trilby and festive turkey hat.
The challenge was featured on the BBC website, as well as in her local newspapers including the Newcastle Evening Chronicle, Newcastle Journal and News Guardian. Katherine was also interviewed on BBC Radio Newcastle.
She said: “Getting into the water as temperatures started to plummet was hard but I wanted this to be genuinely challenging. My physical pain is nothing compared to the emotional pain our dear friends are going through and this was my way of showing them my support at this truly dreadful time.”
Katherine’s incredible efforts have raised more than £1,700 on her JustGiving page.
Related reading:
- Read about Katherine’s challenge in the Newcastle Evening Chronicle
- Listen to Katherine’s interview on BBC Radio Newcastle
- Be the first to hear about Wear A Hat Day 2021
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