Paula McGuire was once too afraid of the
Now she is to embark on a challenge to become the first person to swim round the coast of mainland Britain.
The 36-year-old, from the east end of Glasgow, describes herself as a recovering aquaphobe and "basket case".
"I am someone who has had a lot of problems with social anxiety and mental health," she says.
"I used to be so terrified of failing that I just wouldn't try anything."
Task One - Learn to ride a bike
But something changed when she turned 30 - a realisation that unless she did something, she might continue life as a "functioning recluse" for another 30 years.
The first fear she decided to tackle was learning to ride a bike.
By all accounts it wasn't pretty. Paula left her first adult class knee deep in bruises.
But she stuck at it, and eventually she was able to triumphantly cycle round Glasgow's Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome.
