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Home News Highlands & Islands

Highland teenager’s dad and Graeme Souness finish channel swim to raise money in fight against butterfly skin

Black Isle dad Andy Grist and football star Graeme Souness have completed a swim of the English Channel, inspired by 14-year-old Isla Grist's battle with epidermolysis bullosa.

By Shona Gossip and Cameron Roy
The English Swim challenge team wearing wetsuits, holding a Debra banner as they celebrate with their fists in the air.
Andy Grist and Graeme Souness with the rest of the English Channel swim team after completing their challenge. Image: Debra/Twitter

A Highland dad and his football legend friend have completed a swim across the English Channel to raise money for a charity close to their hearts.

Andy Grist and former Scotland footballer Graeme Souness were part of a six-strong team who took on the challenge in aid of Debra, which supports epidermolysis bullosa (EB) sufferers – also known as butterfly skin.

Mr Grist’s 14-year-old daughter Isla suffers from the rare skin condition, which causes skin to tear and blister when touched.

Isla, who lives in the Black Isle with her dad, mum Rachael and sister Emily, has an extreme form of the condition that impacts every part of her life.

Isla Grist has spent much of her life in hospitals, but is the pride and joy of her father Andy. Image: Andy Grist.

Her throat blisters making it impossible for her to eat, as do her internal organs. Even her eyeballs blister.

She is in constant chronic pain, but like most teens keeps her parents on their toes – giving her dad some “brutally honest” feedback about his training for the English Channel swim.

But as the team prepared to set off on Saturday, Isla was right there with them.

And today, Mr Grist said her daily suffering had kept him going during the challenging swim.

The team swam 21 miles between Dover and Calais, setting off at 10.30pm and swimming through the night.

Taking turns, the team of six would each spend one-hour swimming in the water before swapping to the next person.

‘We put in a massive shift’

Mr Grist told The Press and Journal: “It was pitch dark. We were swimming with lights and glowsticks on.

“There were lots of jellyfish. It got light at about 3.30am.

“We put in a massive shift, no one really slept, if you were on deck you were making sure everything was okay.”

The team had estimated it would take them 16 hours, but they smashed that – completing their mission in 12 hours and 17 minutes.

All six members of the team got in the water and swam the last 100 metres to the shore.

‘Graeme Souness is not one to shy away from a challenge – or a tackle’

Despite many of the other members of the team coming from a military background and with experience swimming in those conditions, Mr Grist said even they found it tricky.

But he said family friend Mr Souness – who previously described EB as “evil” and Isla as “the most courageous human being” he’s ever met – managed it with no problems.

“Graeme Souness is not one to shy away from a challenge – or a tackle”, he said.

“He was absolutely determined.

Graeme Souness and Andy Grist. Image: Debra.

“For a man of 70 to be that fit and in those conditions too.

“He was typically humorous throughout and gave some good banter to keep us going as well.”

So far the swimmers have raised just under their £1.1 million target, but there is still time to donate. 

After the swim finished, Isla appeared on BBC Breakfast supported by Mr Girst and Mr Souness.

Isla visits the Houses of Parliament

And despite the exhausting journey down to London and media appearances, Isla will be heading to the Houses of Parliament on Monday afternoon and ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Tuesday.

Before that, she will need to get her bandages changed. The procedure happens three times a week and has to be done with a cocktail of drugs due to the excruciating pain it causes.

Isla hopes she can convince politicians to provide government funding to help design a drug to treat her rare condition.

Isla Grist has spent much of her life in hospitals, but is the pride and joy of her father Andy. Image: Andy Grist.

Instead of the £600 million it usually takes to get a drug to market, Mr Grist hopes money could be spent tweaking a drug already used for eczema or psoriasis to treat butterfly skin.

“It is a bit overwhelming with all the support we have received”, said Mr Grist.

“We are hugely grateful for that.”

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