A writer who is sea swimming 40 miles in 40 days in memory of a good friend has so far raised more than £6,000 for charity.

Mother of two Katherine Kay, from Poole, will make her final swim on June 25.

The day would have been the 40th birthday of her “wonderful, hilarious, big-hearted friend.”

Amy Rogers, pictured right, died three years ago during a postpartum psychotic episode, five days after giving birth to her second son.

One of the charities supported by Katherine is Action on Postpartum Psychosis (APP).

Postpartum psychosis is a severe, but treatable, form of mental illness that occurs after having a baby.

The charity supports women and families affected by postpartum psychosis across the UK.

Katherine, 39, pictured with Amy in San Francisco, said: “Amy loved lots of things.

“Playing the piano, chocolate cheesecake, Ryan Gosling…and swimming in the sea.

“She is missed so much by everyone who knew her.”

The ’40 miles in 40 days’ challenge began on May 17.

Katherine, a professional freelance writer and editor, said: “I’ve found the challenge tiring.

“The first ten days were pretty hard, seeing as the weather was windy and rainy and the sea conditions were rough.

“But since the weather has improved, a lot of my swims have been so beautiful.

“I’ve been doing a lot of my swims before the morning school run, so I have been in the sea around 5.30am.

“One morning, the full moon was still out, which was pretty magical.”

So far Katherine. who under the name Katherine Bebo wrote ‘111 Places in Poole That You Shouldn’t Miss’ published in 2019, has raised more than £6,600 for APP and also Winston’s Wish.

Winston’s Wish is a bereavement charity that provides emotional and practical support to children and their families after the death of a parent or sibling.

To donate to Katherine’s ’40 miles in 40 days’ please click here.

Katherine said: “Please donate whatever you can.

“Wish me luck… and wish Amy a happy 40th in your own way.

“She loved a celebration!’

• app-network.org
• winstonswish.org