The Wild Lady Grant
We’ve been wanting to do something for a while now to give back to the outdoor swimming community and really try to inspire people to reconnect with the outdoors…
With that in mind, we are very excited to announce the “The Wild Lady Grant” in memory of our Grandma Wild.
Our Grandma earned the nickname “The Wild Lady” for two reasons, the first being rather obviously that her maiden name was Wild, but the second being that she personified all that it means to truly be wild. It's not about bravado or recklessness, it's about being deeply and unequivocally connected to the natural world, immersed in the outdoors - something that cannot be controlled or caged by the modern world. She moved to the highlands in 1984 after the death of our Grandpa and, whilst I think she initially sought refuge on the hillsides around the lochs, I think she found peace and a haven we were lucky enough to experience for ourselves. She roamed the coppices hacking at bracken with her machete, chopping wood and fighting off the midges. She would tell ancient tales of Celtic Folklore and could beat us in an arm wrestle well into our teens. As we grew older every journey to see our Grandma Wild became a pilgrimage to reconnect with the natural word. I still get the feeling that I'm returning home, that the wild in the world is calling me onwards every time we turn off the road down the avenue of giant trees, past the mighty mountain called Tor and onwards to Lon Fiodhag, the house and haven we all grew to love and which she called home.
“Our Grandma was a true matriarch and a force of nature. She lived alone in the highlands for more than 30 years - far from any shop or semblance of civilisation. ”
Middle Brother Calum and old pal Luke being rowed by Grandma across Loch Broom.
The “Wild Lady Grant” will be an annual expedition grant of £250 as well as a £50 donation to a charity of the recipients choosing. We will be focusing solely on outdoor swimming expeditions. This could be a memorial swim, a world-first attempt, a source to sea river swim, a channel crossing or any type of swimming expedition that is related to the natural world. We will welcome all applicants for this grant starting now and will decide the recipient of the grant on January 31st 2020. If you or someone you know is planning a swimming expedition but needs help with funds for the kit, logistics, food, accommodation, transport etc then you’re the perfect fit to apply for the grant. Please fill out the form below to apply.
“She has had a huge influence on me and has given me a deep love for the natural world. We would spend hours watching for porpoise in the loch or trying to catch a glimpse of a Golden Eagle. Our granny encompassed everything that we believe in. She wasn’t chasing anything. She was just quietly content with her place amongst the world.”
— Calum Hudson
Little Brother Jack with Grandma Wild’s house in the background.