I WANT TO SWIM IN ANTARCTICA

ELLERY McGOWAN, 73, has won multiple world championships in open-water, marathon and winter swimming. She is also head of swimming and water polo at Charterhouse school in Surrey. Ellery says: At the Winter Swimming World Championships in Russia, I cut my arms from swimming through ice, but I didn’t even notice the blood until the race was over.

It’s hard to explain how good the water makes me feel — I come out and glow because all the heat has gone to my core.

even at the lido, you might look at the grey sky and find it uninspiring, but after a few kilometres, you always feel better.

teaching is rewarding, too, and I have quite good self-motivation.

I take Pilates and spin classes every week, as well as a core strength class every thursday, followed by Gyrotonic. that’s my indulgence because it keeps my joints mobile.

I eat quite healthily and I keep saying I am not going to drink every day of the week, but I always end up having a glass of red wine.

I’ve been separated for about ten years. So far, mostly I’ve left relationships to serendipity, but I think soon I might have to try online dating.

I think about death a lot more since my son James died unexpectedly last year, aged 34. Some days I think: ‘I wouldn’t like to die just yet.’ But if my number’s up, my number’s up.

I have no regrets. James packed so much into his life — and I do, too. his death has made me even more aware that it’s important not to put things off.

I still have a lot of living to do. Antarctica is on my list for a swim, and I’ve already signed up to swim from Robben Island to Cape town, next year.