To help people suffering from a rare skin disease, former Benfica coach (between the 1997 and 1999 seasons), Graeme Souness, decided to take on a challenge in May: swim in the English Channel to raise money. And so it happened on Sunday (June 18).
At the age of 70, the Scot was part of a group of six who swam around 33 kilometers across the English Channel, between England and France, in a challenge that lasted 12 hours and 17 minutes and raised more than a million euros for the fight against epidermolysis bullosa (EB). The money will go to Debra UK, a British charity that supports patients with this rare skin condition.
The institution thanked Graeme Souness and the other participants in the challenge.
They did!
Huge congratulations to Graeme, Andy, Sean, Steph, Rob & Andy M for completing their swim in the English Channel in 12 hours 17 minutes, raising over £1 million for #Stop the pain for people with EB.
help us #Stop the pain: https://t.co/PULH0KGBo0Thank you pic.twitter.com/s4ccsZbU9r
– DEBRA VK (@CharityDEBRA) June 18, 2023
Football legend Graeme Souness swims English Channel for charity https://t.co/oFu4OpgJVN
– BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) June 19, 2023
Souness, a former Liverpool and Rangers player, stepped into this challenge motivated by his time with 14-year-old Isla Grist, who has suffered since birth from recessive dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa, a form of the disease that causes the skin to become extremely fragile . often with extensive blisters and sores, writes Sky Sports.
In May, during an interview with the BBC, the former Benfica coach shed tears when he spoke about the young woman’s case and referred to the “cruelest disease” he knows.
“She’s a very special young woman. She’s an inspiration to me. This disease… it’s the cruelest I know. It’s very hard. And Isla was always aware of the impact it had on her parents. And she helps them. in tears every time I see her, sorry, it’s always like that,” Souness said at the time.
Also on the swim team was Andy, Isla’s father, a “very special” young woman, whose courage became an “inspiration” to Souness.
“From my time with Isla and her family, I have seen the extreme pain this devastating condition causes and the daily challenges it brings,” Souness told Sky Sports.
“I wanted to do something that could make a difference in Isla’s life and the lives of so many other people living with EB and the slightly crazy idea of swimming across the English Channel came up,” said the former footballer.
Crazy idea or not, what is certain is that Graeme Souness jumped into the water and managed to take on the challenge.
Source: DN
