A Manx widower is preparing to mark his 80th birthday by swimming five kilometres to raise money for charity.

Barrie Johnson will swim 200 lengths of Ramsey Pool to raise money for Hospice Isle of Man and in memory of his late wife, Muriel.

He will take on the challenge during the final week of October, aiming to complete the distance, equivalent to a swimming half-marathon, in under two and a half hours.

Speaking about the challenge, Barrie said: ‘Since my dear wife died, I frequently swim between 120 and 160 lengths in a single session. I find being in the water a comfort.

‘Muriel would have told me off for trying to swim so far but would have been quietly proud.’

Swimming has long been a source of comfort to Barrie, particularly since Muriel’s passing in November 2022.

On his 70th and 75th birthdays, Barrie swam four kilometres ‘for fun’, simply to prove to himself that he could.

Now, at the age of 80, he is pushing himself further than before, with a dual purpose of celebrating his milestone birthday and looking to raise a total of £5,000 for Hospice.

Muriel, who also loved to swim, spent her final days under the care of Hospice Isle of Man after living with dementia. Barrie hopes his fundraising will help other families receive the same ‘vital’ support.

‘If the swim can raise £5,000 for Hospice, then it will be a challenge with real purpose,’ he added.

Training for the swim is well underway, and Barrie has already been ‘heartened’ by the encouragement he’s received from family and friends across the Isle of Man, Ireland, and England.

To find out more about Barrie’s fundraising efforts and follow his journey, you can visit his JustGiving page at https://www.justgiving.com/page/barrie-johnson-1