Mum-of-two braves a Dip a Day for Maggie’s Merseyside

It might not be the best weather for getting your cossie on and doing a bit of outdoor bathing, but Kirsty Crank is braving the chills to embark on a Dip a Day throughout October.

The mum-of-two has taken on the ‘nuts’ challenge to raise money for Maggie’s Merseyside and, although she set herself a target of £150, she’s already topped the £700 mark.

“And that’s absolutely amazing,” says Kirsty, 46. “I didn’t even begin to imagine I would raise anything like £700 and, who knows, I may even raise a bit more.

“But if I walk away with that,” she smiles, “and not hypothermia, for such a great cause, I’ll be happy!”

Kirsty, who’s a looked-after children’s lead for CAMHS (Child and Adolescent Mental Health Services) was signed up for the challenge by her best friend Donna who was diagnosed earlier this year with triple negative breast cancer.

Kirsty Crank is raising money for Maggie's Merseyside — Kirsty Crank is raising money for Maggie’s Merseyside

“It was completely out of the blue, and it’s been a really difficult time,” explains Kirsty. “She goes for treatments at Clatterbridge and over the road from that is the Maggie’s Centre and Donna has just really raved about it, and how amazing it is. We both work with children and children’s health services, and we recognise when these support services are really good.”

Maggie’s offers a ranges of emotional and practical support for people with cancer and those close to them, and helps with anything from treatment side effects to money worries.

Kirsty adds: “Donna has been blown away by Maggie’s and what it offers, and when she heard about the Dip a Day Facebook Challenge – which asks fundraisers to literally dip in outdoor and waters every day throughout this month – she decided she would put my name down for it!

“I started cold water swimming in February and I had been trying to persuade her to come for some time. She just said ‘no, you’re crazy, that’s just mad’ but was quite happy to put my name down for it daily,” smiles Kirsty, who lives in North Wales but whose family is from Liverpool which she describes as ‘my second home’.

“I was more than happy to take it on, and support Maggie’s and do anything that could make things better, happier, for Donna, if only in the moment. So I’ve been doing my dipping.”

And Kirsty has chosen some pretty picturesque places.

She has been dipping in Bersham Falls in Wrexham, the River Alyn, Horseshoe Falls in Llangollen, and she is aiming to dip in the pools of Snowdonia – and include a moonlit dip among her challenges.

“I have to do most of the dips after work and dip for about 15 minutes. I’m a member of groups like Bersham Bathers and I’ve had a lot of support from them.

“Cold water dipping is great and it’s such a lovely community of people, and it makes me feel so alive and I get a real buzz from it. The dopamine release you get from it is amazing.

“I really enjoy it and I’ve embraced it this year – and this has been the next step. It is a bit of a challenge doing it every day and dipping in the dark’s been interesting, as much as dipping in the cold.”

Kirsty is now planning a visit to Maggie’s to see why it is so important for Donna and understand why for her, and so many, it is ‘a really good cause and worth supporting’.

Donna is currently undergoing chemotherapy and immunotherapy to which she is responding really well, and the cancer has shrunk significantly.

“She still faces an operation to remove what is left when that’s finished,” adds Kirsty.

“That’s why doing this for me is really important.” It’s still a long road ahead for Kirsty’s friend, and she says: “Anything that can help pass those day-by-days for her and give her a different focus, and help Maggie’s, is so important.

“And Donna can’t come and dip with me, but she has promised she’ll come along once or twice and dip a toe or two.”

Centre fundraiser Sarah Burgess says: ‘We are extremely grateful to Kirsty for her incredible support and bravery and for taking on the open water challenge. Her support ensures that we can keep the doors to our centre open for people who need us now more than ever.

“We have thousands of visits every year and our team of qualified professionals deliver an evidence-based programme of support, which has shown to improve physical and emotional wellbeing. Without the support of people like Kirsty this would not be possible’’.