Diane Allton suffered from aquaphobia and couldn’t swim. At 55, she confronted her fears and took the plunge 

The bravery of RNLI volunteer lifeboat crews is clear to see. But courage can come in other guises – and for Diane, confronting her fear of water has taken great strength.

A traumatic event when she was a teenager left Diane with aquaphobia. For years she avoided water until World Drowning Prevention Day 2023, when she heard about swimming lessons taking place. In this inspiring episode, Diane shares what happened when she dared to dip her toe in the water she’d always feared. 

200 Voices is produced by Adventurous Audio for the RNLI   

Interview by the RNLI's Amy Bratley

Soundtrack composed and performed by Jon Nicholls   

The RNLI is a charity celebrating 200 years of saving lives at sea - find out more at RNLI.org/200