When at school, Radio 2 host Jo Whiley swam for her county. So you might imagine the water part of her upcoming Sport Relief triathlon challenge wouldn’t faze her the least.
But you’d be wrong. Because it’s the swimming that worries Jo, 54, the most – in case it triggers a panic attack .
“I did my first triathlon at Blenheim last summer and when I got into the water I went too fast and suddenly couldn’t breathe,” recalls Jo, who sets out tomorrow to attempt three triathlons in three nations (Wales, Scotland and England) in just three days.
“There was this terrible panic which I had never experienced before,” she says.
“I thought, ‘this is it, I’m going to sink to the bottom of the lake’. I literally wanted to rip off my wetsuit, my hat, goggles. It was the most bizarre feeling in the world.”
In the end, Jo had to call for help. “The woman in the rescue boat was saying, ‘it’s OK, you’re just panicking. I’m going to undo your wetsuit now, breathe deeply, just breathe’.
“I completed the rest of that swim, but only doing a really feeble breaststroke instead of freestyling it.
“I always thought I was very competent at swimming. In the pool I can just keep going up and down – but swimming in open water is like nothing you’ve ever experienced before.”
The same sense of panic set in during her second triathlon attempt in Woburn, Beds, in September. “I was so determined I wasn’t going to feel it, but it’s that memory at the back of your head.
"I have flashbacks to it constantly now. That honestly is what I’m going to be battling the most when I start these triathlons. It’s keeping calm, not panicking, not freaking out.”
So in preparation for her Dare 2 Tri challenge in Cardiff, Glasgow and Manchester, alongside fellow Radio 2 hosts Rev Kate Bottley and Richie Anderson, Jo has been having sessions with a swimming coach.
“He explained it’s all about breathing and not hyperventilating, so you don’t feel like you’re running out of oxygen,” she says.
“It’s about keepig calm and trying not to think about what I’m doing – because I’ve now started getting that same feeling even when I get into a swimming pool.
“I put my head down and suddenly think, ‘oh my God, I can’t breathe’ even though I’ve done it millions of times before. It’s all mind over matter and re-educating yourself that you can do it. I’ve never felt panic like that before.”
But it isn’t just Jo’s mental stamina that will be tested during the challenge. She has physical problems to contend with as well. “I’ve got dodgy shoulders,” she admits.
“I have issues with my rotator cuff [the muscles and tendons that hold the upper arm in the shoulder socket] from doing loads of swimming when younger. I need an operation on both shoulders as I’ve got frayed tendons, so I’m hoping they hold out while we do this challenge.”
It’s an issue Jo admits she should probably have addressed already. “I know I’ve got to book myself in for an operation but I’ve been putting it off for quite a few years now,” she says. “I’m a coward and can always find some reason not to get it done.”
So how does it affect her when she isn’t taking part in gruelling sporting challenges? “My shoulders are really painful a lot of the time. If I work out my arms at the gym, my shoulders will really hurt the next day.”
But she thinks any pain in her challenge will be well worth it after visiting The Running Charity, which will benefit from Sport Relief.
It uses exercise to improve the lives of 16-25-year-olds who are homeless or at risk of being so.
“Hearing people’s individual stories resonated so much,” says Jo. “They were utterly desperate, had no hope, self-esteem, and their lives were turned around with the Running Charity’s help.
“So when I’m feeling a bit wobbly I’ll be able to think of them – it is exactly the motivation that I need.”
What does Jo’s doctor make of her taking on this challenge? “For my last Sport Relief one in 2014, I spent 26 hours on a treadmill,” she says.
“I saw a specialist as I was having trouble with my legs and he said, ‘explain what it is you’re doing’. When I told him, he shook his head and gave me an injection. So I find it best to not tell them and hope nothing falls off.”