Open water swimmers invited to dive in and help disabled children

With lots of us looking for any way possible to keep up our exercise, and have a reason to take on a lake swimming challenge in the absence of competitive events, a children’s charity is giving us a positive reason to do so.

Level Water, the only UK swimming charity which provides specialist one-to-one swimming lessons for children with physical and sensory disabilities, is hoping to raise lots of desperately-needed funds to help it continue its work by encouraging as many people as possible to take part in a country-wide open water swim, over the weekend of 15-16 August.

MyTriathlon and our sister website, MyOpenwaterswim.co.uk, are helping organise an event happening at our regular open water swim location of Pennington Flash, just outside Leigh, and a short drive off the M6 junction 23 and A580 East Lancashire Road, as part of this event.

“Level Water needs the help of keen open-water swimmers now, so that we can be ready to re-start our programme of bespoke swimming lessons for children with disabilities when the pools re-open,” said the charity’s CEO, Ian Thwaites.

“Once each child has learnt to swim 15 metres front crawl and backstroke, they can be safe and independent in the water, and can join group swimming lessons or join their local competitive club.

“If we can help to give children physical, social and emotional confidence through sport, we can change their trajectory in life.”

MyTriathlon will be joining main sponsors 2XU and Swim Secure - both trusted and popular manufacturers of swimwear and safety equipment respectively.

Extra measures have been implemented to ensure that the events run in accordance with Covid-19 related guidelines. They mean that there will be no mass starts, and the reduced number of participants allowed at each venue will set off on staggered starts, with social distancing rules implemented by each lake involved in the event.

“We’re all desperate to swim. The pools aren’t opening, but the lakes are, and we know lots of people are itching for a challenge,” said Ian Thwaites.

Apart from a minimum 1km distance, there will be no limits on how far each participant will be expected to swim, but there is a minimum fundraising target of £50 for all those who take the plunge.

Swim England and the Outdoor Swimming Society have both published extensive guidance on participating safely in open-water swims under the current conditions, which all participants are urged to check out before the event.

The events will be organised in a familiar way to anyone who has taken part in any previous open-water swims.

If you’re up for the challenge, sign up at https://www.levelwater.org/lakes, and you can pick Pennington Flash as your chosen swim site from the drop-down menu.

You’ll be sent an email containing all the instructions you need to follow to complete your entry, including for setting up a dedicated JustGiving page.

Prizes are being offered for anyone who raises over £50, with extra goodies being awarded to the highest fund-raiser at each lake. The three most successful fund-raisers overall will also get a wetsuit from the 2XU range, and an Outdoor Swimming Society towel.

You don’t even have to take the dip to support MyTriathlon’s contribution to this worthy event. You can support us through our Just Giving page, at https://www.justgiving.com/team/penningtonflash. And of course, if you join this swim, you can ask donors to make their payments through this page.

You can also book a place on one of our sister organisation MyOpenWaterSwim’s regular Saturday or Sunday swims at Pennington Flash at any time, and we’ll be pleased to see you and give you all the help and encouragement you need to start enjoying lake swimming.