Story
When I entered my first triathlon just over a year ago, there were only 10 weeks until race day. One major hurdle stood between me and the finish line however; I couldn’t swim more than 10 meters and swimming pools terrified me.
Since successfully learning to swim and completing the Triathlon last September, my ambition for swimming has known no bounds. I have completed a 2KM swim event, where I came last but was bursting with pride none the less and I have now entered The Dart 10K - a swim from Totnes to Dartmouth along the River Dart which will take place just one year after my first Triathlon.
Confidence in my own ability has soared since learning to swim. So much in life is just the other side of fear. Don't get me wrong, the first step (or stroke!) is often terrifying, and I am not going to pretend that it's not, but I have discovered that when you leap the net appears.
The Dart 10k was the first, and is arguably the finest, 10k swim on the open water calendar and 2019 is its tenth year. It has grown from 200 swimmers to 1600. The course of the Dart 10K is a unique journey punctuated by landmarks such as the Cormorant Tree, the white rock, Sharpham boat house and Bow Creek. It’s supported by volunteers from the local and swimming community who make it special.
The Wild Wye is a more local swim to me.
The Wild Wye Swim is an annual long-distance swimming event in the beautiful River Wye, first held in 2017. Swimmers have the opportunity to swim down the Wye from Kerne Bridge and from Lower Lydbrook to Huntsham Bridge.
The Swim is organised by SARA Trading Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of SARA (The Severn Area Rescue Association) – to raise vital funds to enable the charity to carry out its rescue work across the area.
For me swimming these marathons is not a race, it’s a journey. Some days I really have to dig deep to find my determination as my confidence in my ability wobbles, but sure enough once in the water I become calm and focussed again and find myself smiling as I swim along with my face in the water, any anxiety quickly dissipating with each stroke.
I have chosen to raise money for Refuge. I have paid for the event out of my own pocket and so every penny raised will go directly to Refuge.
Refuge opened the world’s first refuge in Chiswick, West London, in 1971. Since then it has grown to become the country’s largest single provider of specialist support to women and children escaping domestic violence and other forms of violence and abuse. On any given day Refuge supports 3,000 women and children experiencing domestic violence, sexual violence, female genital mutilation (FGM), forced marriage, stalking, traf cking, prostitution and so-called ‘honour’ based violence.
Their services save lives and change lives.
But they cannot do this work without the involvement of supporters. Refuge is enormously grateful for any support they receive - rest assured whatever you choose to donate, you will be helping them reach out to women and children in urgent need of their services.
www.refuge.org.uk
Thank you.