Olympic swimming heroes Mark Foster and Duncan Goodhew are encouraging the nation to jump in and make a splash at this year’s Swimathon.
Returning to its usual springtime slot on May 6th – 8th, the event brings communities together to raise money for Official Charity Partners Cancer Research UK and Marie Curie.
Since launching in 1986, more than 750,000 swimmers have taken part in Swimathon, raising over £55 million for charity.
With pools open again, and with home pool owners able to give their swimming a new goal, now is the perfect time to undertake a swimming challenge.
There are a variety of distances individuals can complete, from 400m up to 30.9k, as well as 1.5k and 5k options available as team challenges for family, friends, or colleagues to take on.
The money raised through Swimathon will go towards supporting the UK’s leading end of life charity, Marie Curie, and Cancer Research UK, the largest charitable funder of cancer research in the world.
Team GB Olympic Swimmer Mark Foster said: “Swimming is a fantastic form of exercise, with a wide range of benefits for both your physical and mental health and is accessible to people with varying abilities and needs.
“So, whether you’re a keen swimmer who is in the pool all the time, prefer to be in open water or if you are just dipping your toes in for the first time, Swimathon is the perfect challenge for everyone. That’s why I’m asking everyone to get involved and feel the benefits of this fantastic sport whilst raising money for two great charities in Cancer Research UK and Marie Curie.”
Gareth Mulcahy, Head of Events and Sports at Cancer Research UK, said: “Swimathon is such a fun and simple way to encourage people to get swimming, while supporting causes which are close to the hearts of so many. 1 in 2 of us will get cancer, but all of us can support the research that will beat it.”
This year, for the first time, event organisers LimeLight Sports and Badu Sports have joined forces to launch a brand-new training programme for 100 young black athletes to help them complete their first ever triathlon. The participants of these programmes will also be taking part in the Swimathon challenge to help them prepare.
No matter what age or ability, there is a Swimathon challenge for everyone – and with MySwimathon, people can choose the time, place, and distance of their swim making it even more accessible. For further details about how to sign up, training plans and ideas how to fundraise, please visit www.swimathon.org.
