Nicola's path to Team GB
From new starter at UHY to Team GB silver medallist, Nicola Bushell’s story is one of courage, balance and discovering what is possible when you back yourself.
Most people starting a new role are focused on learning systems, meeting colleagues and settling into a routine. For Nicola Bushell, that same chapter looked very different. It included pulling on a Team GB kit and stepping into one degree water on the international stage at the European Ice Swimming Championships.
For Nicola, an accounts assistant at our Sittingbourne office, the past year has been one of new beginnings, unexpected opportunities and discovering just how far determination can take you. It is a story shaped by courage, curiosity and quiet determination; proof that new beginnings don’t just happen in our careers, but in the goals we dare to pursue beyond work too.
Nicola joined UHY after spending 24 years working in finance at the University of Kent. Following a period of change and redundancies, she decided to take a new direction and pursue a chartered accountancy pathway.
While the move brought familiar territory, it also meant stepping into something new.
“I’m still getting my head around parts of it”, she laughed. “It’s similar, but different. A good different. A new challenge.”
Transitioning into a new environment after such a long time in one organisation could have felt daunting, but Nicola approached it with the same mindset that would later support her in competition, an openness and willingness to keep learning and progressing.
Recommended to the firm by someone already working within the team, Nicola quickly found herself welcomed into a supportive environment at a time when she was also balancing a major personal goal outside of work. “Everyone has been really lovely and supportive”, she shared, something she credits with helping her settle into both her role and her demanding training routine.
Discovering ice swimming
Although Nicola has been a swimmer all her life, ice swimming wasn’t part of her original routine. During the Covid lockdown periods, when pools closed, she ventured into open water for the first time, despite previously being afraid of the sea. “I’d never gone into the sea until I was 40”, Nicola explained. “But I started sea and lake swimming, met like-minded people, and we just kept going, even through winter.”
Like many people, what began as a way to adapt to changing circumstances slowly turned into something more meaningful – a new community, new challenges and a fresh sense of adventure. What began with wetsuits and winter dips gradually evolved into something far more extreme. “We discovered that ice swimming was a thing, and that there was a Team GB. We thought, why not? And it just progressed from there.”
Unlike traditional swimming, ice swimming is as much a mental challenge as a physical one. “It’s completely different”, Nicola shared. “The hardest part is simply getting in”. It is a sport that requires not only physical resilience but also emotional control; learning how to stay calm and focused when every instinct tells you to step back.
Following the GB Ice Swimming Championships in Scotland in December 2025, Nicola received an exciting email confirming she had qualified for Team GB, news that felt almost impossible to process. “It felt surreal”, she said. “I couldn’t quite get my head around it.”
Representing her country at competitive level was not something Nicola had ever imagined when she first dipped her toe into open water during lockdown, which made the achievement feel even more unexpected. Training quickly became a discipline in itself, including regular cold-water sessions, three weekly pool
swims and maintaining fitness while staying acclimatised to low temperatures, all alongside full-time work and family life.
“It’s a balancing act”, she explained. “I’m working full-time, training a lot, and I’ve got two teenage children. You just have to be organised and disciplined”. Balancing those commitments was made easier knowing she could have open conversations at work about what she was doing and why it mattered to her.
Knowing her UHY team were behind her allowed her to focus on preparation, and having the support of her colleagues is something that Nicola believes has made a real difference. “They have been really supportive and encouraging, especially with time off around competitions. It’s been very positive.”
The European Ice Swimming Championships took place in Molveno, a stunning mountain setting in Northern Italy, which added another layer of emotion to the event. “It was brilliant”, Nicola said. “Honestly, I can’t even explain how good it was. It completely surpassed my expectations.”
Snow-covered scenery, a strong Team GB atmosphere and the shared energy of athletes from across Europe created an experience she says she will never forget. Even while competing internationally, Nicola knew she had the support of her UHY colleagues who were interested in
how she was getting on and championing her from afar; a small but meaningful reminder that support does not stop at the office door.
The experience felt almost dreamlike for Nicola. “I kept trying to pause and take it all in, I wanted
to really be present in the moment. Looking back now, it still feels surreal.”
Then came the real test, stepping into water that measured just one degree. Reflecting on the challenge itself, particularly swimming in water with a temperature of just one degree, Nicola stated: “I was terrified, I’d never swum in water that cold before. But adrenaline takes over. You just get in and do it.”
In those first moments, preparation gives way to instinct. The noise fades and the nerves settle, what is left is a focus on breath and movement. However, once the race started, Nicola felt something shift. “It actually felt like a normal swim once I was in. That was a good thing though, and definitely helped, because if I’d stopped to think ‘I’m competing for GB’, I think the enormity would have freaked me out.”
A result beyond expectations
Simply being chosen and competing was already an incredible achievement, but the results exceeded anything Nicola had imagined. “I came home with two silver medals in my age group”, she shared. “And I finished sixth overall in both events, out of over sixty swimmers, including all the younger age groups. I didn’t expect to come home with medals. That really was the icing on the cake.”
For someone who travelled to Italy hoping simply to do her best and enjoy the experience, returning with medals felt almost unbelievable. Team GB also performed strongly overall, topping the age-group medal table, adding to the pride of being part of the team.
Back at work, sharing those successes and results with colleagues made the experience feel even more real, turning what had felt surreal into something tangible and celebrated. More than anything, Nicola describes a quiet sense of pride, not just in the results, but in proving to herself that she belonged there.
Beyond medals, the biggest takeaway from the experience is how Nicola sees herself: “I’m not someone who has massive belief in myself”, she admits. “But doing something like this makes you realise you really can do anything you put your mind to.”
It is a confidence she says she has carried back into everyday life too, approaching challenges at work and outside of it with a little more belief than before. Her daughters are equally proud too. “They’re teenagers, so you don’t always get that reaction”, she laughed. “But they think it is pretty cool that their mum swims for GB.”
That quiet pride from family, and the sense of showing them that it is never too late to try something new, has made the journey even more meaningful.
The future is bright
What is next for Nicola? Well, with the World Ice Swimming Championships announced for next January in Romania, she already has her sights set on a new goal.
For now, she is continuing to train and take confidence from what she has already achieved, knowing that one challenge often opens the door to another.
And, just as importantly, she is continuing to grow and progress in her role at UHY, balancing personal ambition alongside professional development in a way that feels sustainable and rewarding.
For colleagues balancing careers, family and personal ambitions, Nicola’s message is simple: “Don’t wait, just go for it. You can do these things alongside work and family life if you really want to. Being organised and talking to management and your wider team for support makes all the difference.”
Nicola’s story is a reminder that prosperity doesn’t only come from professional progression, it comes from growth and the willingness to challenge ourselves in new ways.
At UHY, supporting our people means recognising the whole person, their ambitions at work, but also the passions and goals that shape who they are beyond it.
Whether it is starting a new career path after 24 years, stepping into freezing water for Team GB, or simply backing yourself to try something that feels impossible, Nicola’s journey shows what can happen when determination and encouragement align. Because when people feel supported to bring their whole selves to work, their goals, their passions, remarkable things can happen.
And sometimes, helping people prosper simply means helping them realise they are capable of far more than they ever imagined.
