A Huddersfield daughter is to take the plunge and face her fear of open  water in a heartfelt fundraising bid for her dad.

Brave Kate Lord will go the distance to raise as much money as possible for Prostate Cancer UK when she tackles the freezing Windermere waters on Father’s Day.

Tandem resident, Kate, who lives in Quarry Lane, had previously refused to swim in open water all her life but decided to throw herself in at the deep end and take up the challenge when her dad and well-known ex-Kayes First & Nursery School headteacher, Martin, lost his battle with the disease in March.

She is planning to join hundreds of other thick-skinned swimmers at the event and said that she signed up to it to ‘make her dad proud.’

Martin, who lived in Marsden, was a well-known former headteacher of Kayes First & Nursery School in Clayton West until he retired in 2001 and died just eight months after being diagnosed.

Kate, who works as a senior pricing analyst at Orchard Energy, said: “After my dad was diagnosed I felt so helpless that I decided to do something positive in his memory.

“I couldn’t make Dad better but I can spend my life doing things to make him proud.

“I spent most of my life doing things that would make him proud and I’m sure he’d appreciate me taking on this challenge, particularly as I have such a fear of outdoor swimming.

Swim challenge on Lake Windermere for Huddersfield woman Kate Lord
Swim challenge on Lake Windermere for Huddersfield woman Kate Lord

“He was such a character and was one of those people that everyone loved and was very kind and funny.”

She first entered the open waters in March to begin training at a reservoir with other swimmers but says that she still feels anything but comfortable being in them.

She said: “I’m not sure why I’m so scared but I find it horrible.

“I’ve got used to it a bit since I started training but I would be lying if I said that I enjoyed it.

“But I hope that by doing it, as well as raising money for research into this terrible disease I will increase awareness of male cancer.

“Hopefully then more men will seek medical help when they have symptoms rather than burying their heads in the sand.”

To support Kate’s charity swim visit http://www.justgiving.com/KateLord

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