Scots swimmers urged to take the plunge for charity

SCOTS are being urged to sign up to Swimathon, the world’s biggest annual fundraising swim, to raise money for two great causes, Cancer Research UK and Marie Curie.  

Swimmers of all ages and abilities are being invited to take part in the annual sponsored event in poolsacross the country and help raise money for both charities.

This year, there are lots of ways to take part in Swimathon. 

The big Swimathon weekend takes place from Friday, April 27 to Sunday, April 29. Participants can choose individual challenges of 400m, 1.5k, 2.5k or 5k or team distances of 1.5k or 5k.

There’s also the opportunity to take part in ‘MySwimathon’, where participants can complete one of the individual challenges or set their own distance at any time from April 20 – May 6.

Swimathon started in 1988 and since then more than 700,000 participants have dived into 1,000 pools across the UK and raised over £48 million for different charities.

Olympic gold-medallist and Swimathon President Duncan Goodhew said: “It has been a real joy to see Swimathon develop into the great event it is today, and raise so much money for so many worthwhile charities. Swimathon really gives people a chance to get active with friends and family, whilst doing some good at the same time. I am so proud that Swimathon gives so many people the chance to enjoy the water.”

Cancer Research UK and Marie Curie are the official charity partners of Swimathon 2018.

Marie Curie is the UK’s leading charity for people with any terminal illness. The charity helps people living with a terminal illness and their families make the most of the time they have together by providing hands-on nursing care and expert hospice care, emotional support, research and guidance to improve the way care is provided in the UK.  Last year, Marie Curie cared for and supported over 50,000 people affected by terminal illnesses across the UK.

Cancer Research UK is the world’s leading charity dedicated to to saving lives through research. It supports the work of scientists, doctors and nurses who are dedicated to beating cancer by understanding its causes and finding new ways to diagnose, treat and prevent the disease.

Carolyn Snedden, Marie Curie’s Fundraising Manager for Scotland, said: “Since Marie Curie first became a partner of Swimathon we have recruited over 150,000 swimmers and raised £12 million, which has enabled us to provide care and support to more people living with any terminal illness such as dementia, motor neurone disease or Parkinson’s disease – at the time when they need it most. We’re hoping people across Scotland are as excited as us about this year’s Swimathon and will join us by taking the plunge and signing up for what will be another great challenge.”

Lisa Adams, Cancer Research UK spokeswoman for Scotland said: “Everyone can get involved Swimathon, whether you are the next Duncan Goodhew or a complete land lubber.We are encouraging as many people to sign up as possible.

“Swimming is a great way to keep active, which can help reduce the risk of three different types of cancer, heart disease and stroke. And being more active can help people maintain a healthy weight, which in turn can help reduce the risk of 13 different types of cancer.”

For more information and to sign up now, visit www.Swimathon.org.