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imon Wilkes was just one of 26 swimmers who took part in The Big Shiver to raise funds for the Arthur Rank Hospice at Jesus Green Lido in Cambridge. The 39 year old, who was born with no eyes, joined 25 other Team Arthur heroes to swim up and down Europe’s longest unheated outdoor pool in temperatures of just 15 degrees C. At 91.4 metres, Jesus Green Lido in Cambridge is four times the length of an average swimming pool. For Simon was in the pool for the entire 3 hours of the challenge and swam 58 lengths, totalling a massive 5301 metres, or 3.29 miles. “I really love open water swimming so much,” says Simon. “It gives me such a sense of freedom and liberation. “I can move in three dimensions. and go under the water as well as I’m not having to always worry about the cane in front in of me, because I’m not going to fall. It also gets me closer to wildlife and nature; being totally blind that’s not so easy. “I stick to outdoor swimming specifically as the indoor pools are quite often full of noise and echoes, so I can’t use my hearing, but with open water swimming you can use sound navigation.”
Arthur Rank Hospice
arhc.org.uk/swim.asp
