Published: 8th July 2025
TMD at Sea - Matt & Clara Swim the Channel
Last week, our two swimming superstars took on their challenge of swimming the Channel solo, to fundraise for TMD! Matt and Clara both gave it their all, put in an amazing amount of effort training and have been fundraising incredibly hard.
After an incredible effort, unfortunately due to water temperatures, Matt had to pull out of the Channel swim. We are all so proud of Matt for taking on this challenge and giving it his all. Starting at 2:30am and swimming in cold choppy water for 9 hours is a massive and truly impressive feat. A superstar of the community.
Clara took on her swim 2 days after, and made it all the way! Beginning her solo journey at 4:30am and swimming for over 12 hours, Clara took on the sea swell through shipping lanes, even meeting a curious seal along the way! An incredible journey to complete, especially at just 17 years old. A Channel champion!
A huge thank you to both Matt and Clara for all of the hard work they have put in to fundraising. Your efforts will make a magical difference for the families we support.
To support Matt and Clara and watch their updates, click on their links below:
Matthew Botterman
Support Matt's fundraising here: www.justgiving.com/page/matthew-botterman
Follow Matt's journey here: www.instagram.com/matt_bott458
"What am I doing and why am I doing it?
The English Channel is a 21miles stretch of cold, tidal water and is one of the busiest shipping routes in the world. Swimming it is widely considered the Mount Everest of the swimming world and in-fact far more people have reached the top the of the mountain than have competed the swim.
At the start of July, I will attempt to add my name to that list in aid of the fantastic and highly deserved charity - Taylor Made Dreams. Taylor-Made Dream support children with life limiting illness and their families in the South East of the UK, achieve their personal "Bucket List". This could be toys, experiences, a holiday or meeting a celebrity. They also support the families and those left behind with counselling, on-going support, and a range of memories and keepsakes.
Sadly, our health and those of our loved ones is never guaranteed. However, I cannot imagine how a charity could do more to help families at the most difficult of times."
Clara Burton-Dowsett
Support Clara's Fundraising here: www.justgiving.com/page/claraschannelswim
Follow Clara's journey here: claraschannelswim.co.uk
From Clara's parents: "Clara has always been passionate about sports, especially netball and swimming. When she joined Roedean in 2019 at the age of 11, she fell in love with the sea. This newfound passion led her to begin training for a Channel Relay, initially planned for 2020. But like so many plans, it was delayed due to Covid and eventually took place in June 2022.
That summer, Clara and five other Roedean girls swam in rotation from Dover to France, each completing one-hour shifts through the night across the busiest shipping lane in the world. They reached France after 13 hours and 13 minutes. The experience left Clara inspired, and she immediately set her sights on a new goal: swimming the English Channel SOLO!
When deciding which charity to raise funds for, she searched for one that truly resonated with her. By chance, she met someone during a training swim who worked with Taylor Made Dreams. After learning about the TMD organisation, Clara knew it was the perfect fit of her. She could relate deeply to the children they support, given her own life experiences, and saw it as an opportunity to help others while pursuing her own dream."
