Susan’s diving in to honour war veterans
A Paisley woman is gearing up to take on a number of physical challenges in a bid to raise money for a great cause.
Susan McCann, 44, wants to bring in a couple of thousand pounds for the Normandy Memorial Trust, which has been building a lasting monument to the British armed servicemen who lost their lives in the D-Day landings in 1944.
Mum- of- two Susan will be doing several swims at her work in Renfrew’s Victory Baths, running the Paisley 10k, the Glasgow Half Marathon and perhaps even the London Marathon.
“I’m hoping to swim two miles a week and I’ll have quite a few weeks to do it,” she said.
“Although I’m not really that fit.”
Receptionist and swimming teacher Susan and her husband Andrew, 44, have always been interested in the armed forces, especially the D-Day landings, and that is why she wants to raise as much money as possible to help complete the already impressive memorial at Ver-sur-Mer, in Normandy.
“Every time I meet veterans I think they are amazing, and I have always wanted to give something back for what they did for our freedom,” Susan said.
“If they can do what they have done, I can do a few lengths of a pool.”
The Normandy landings took place on Tuesday, June 6, 1944.
Codenamed Operation Neptune, but usually referred to as D-Day, this was the largest seaborne invasion in history.
It led to victory in Europe for the Allied forces.
There is no permanent British memorial to the 22,442 men who gave their lives during the D-Day landings and the Battle of Normandy.
The aim of the trust is to ensure their sacrifice is remembered with a fitting monument.
The charity says that, with the public’s support, it can build a long overdue British Normandy memorial.
To donate £5 directly to Susan’s fund, text DDAY to 70460.
To find out more about the memorial, or to make a donation, visit www.normandy memorialtrust.org