Swimathon

This weekend saw both Chelsea Sports Centre and Kensington Leisure Centre host the annual Swimathon event, which is the world’s biggest annual pool-based fundraising swim. Since its inception more than £55 million has been raised for a variety of nominated charities including Macmillan Cancer Support, NSPCC, The British Heart Foundation, The Prince’s Trust, Comic Relief, Marie Curie and Cancer Research UK. It was founded in 1997, the Swimathon Foundation brings together swimmers of all ages and abilities with the aims of promoting the physical and mental benefits that swimming can bring to individuals whilst raising money for some of the UK’s most deserving charities.

Participants were able to  choose from a range of different distances which started at 400 meters and went all the way up to the furthest of 5 kilometres, equal to 200 lengths of both Chelsea’s and Kensington’s pools. Also available is a 5 kilometre relay and if individuals feel like a whole weekend of swimming there is a triple 5 kilometre challenge with swims on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

Thank you to all the swimmers who chose to swim in the borough, with one participant coming down for the weekend from Cumbria and completed his final swim of his triple 5k at Kensington Leisure Centre.  It was great to hear stories of money being raised for Cancer Research UK and Marie Curie, with one individual rising over £500.

Thanks to all our staff that organised the event in advance. While on the day they welcomed and registered swimmers, counted and recorded lengths swam and gave out medals to participants at the end of their swims. We look forward to welcoming more Swimathon participates next year in both our swimming pools in the borough and help to raise money for the charities involved.