Joanna Stokoe raised more than £15,000 in a solo charity swim across the English Channel, completing the 21-mile swim in 15 and a half hours.

As an oncologist, she chose to raise money for the Sussex Cancer Fund and the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation – two charities that are connected with her day-to-day work with cancer patients.

She was preparing for the endurance swim for more than two years. On episode 4 of Defiant Optimism, we speak to her about what it took to train, what it's like to swim the English Channel, and how she managed to complete it.

CHAPTER MARKERS

0.00-1.40 - Introduction
1.40-2.49 - How you swim the English Channel
2.49-3.48 - The actual swim
3.48-7.06 - ’The difficult bit was the end’
7.06-10.41 - Smashing the fundraising target
10.41-12.59 - The impact on the charities
12.59-14.35 - The planning and prep
14.35-17.12 - ‘You have to think you can do it’
17.12-18.39 - Tips for fundraising challenges
18.39-21.11 - What does defiant optimism mean to you?

Follow Joanna on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoannaStokoe
Support and find out more about the Sussex Cancer Fund: https://www.sussexcancerfund.co.uk/
Support and find out more about the Roy Castle Lung Cancer Foundation: https://roycastle.org/