Let’s hear it for Swimarathon

SWIMMERS raised £3,341 for charities at Henley Lions Club’s Swimarathon 2024.

Eleven teams took part in the event at the Henley leisure centre pool on Saturday, swimming as far as they could in 40 minutes.

This was the 30th year of the fundraiser, although it did not take place in 2020 and 2021 due to the covid-19 pandemic.

There was a total of 74 swimmers, mainly children, representing teams from Valley Road, Trinity and Nettlebed primaries, Gillotts School, Henley 1st Brownies and South Oxfordshire Mencap’s Meteor Club.

The Gillotts swimmers completed the most lengths — 109 — followed by two teams from Valley Road Primary School, the Barracudas (year 6) and the Torpedoes (year 5), which both completed 90 lengths. The Water Warriors, also a Valley Road team, swam 82 lengths.

Henley Mayor Kellie Hinton, who watched the action from the poolside, said: “It’s great to see so many different groups and ages taking part and to be a part of the fun cheering people on.

“When I arrived I felt the atmosphere straight away — it was so loud.

“It’s important in a river town that children not only know how to swim but enjoy it as well.”

Half of the money each team raised will go to Lions charities and the other half will to go to the children’s schools or a charity of their choice.

Organiser Wendy Franklin said: “The kids absolutely love it. I’m a nanny by profession so anything with kids and I’m there.”

Henley Lions president John Moore said he was impressed by the enthusiasm of the swimmers and their competitiveness.

“It’s just astounding the energy they put into it all to raise money,” he added. Lions secretary David Murray, who has been involved in the event since 1994, said: “When it first started, we went over to Maidenhead Lions to see how they did it. Initially it was held here, then it moved to LA Fitness and then it moved back.

“We’ve got lots of lovely and noisy children but we don’t have as many teams as we have had and the number of schools taking part has reduced significantly.”

The Mencap team comprised six members of the Meteor Club, a Thursday night social club for adults with learning disabilities.

They included Lizzie Pike, 48, who won several medals at the Special Olympics in the Nineties.

Ms Pike, whose mother was a swimming teacher, also won five medals at the 2010 Down Syndrome International Swimming Organisation World Championships held in Taipei. She is a former member of the Reading Cygnets Swimming Club. Libby Meachin, who helps run the Meteor Club, said: “They all really enjoyed it and are very pleased with how it went.”

She said the money they raised would go to South Oxfordshire Mencap, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

She said the charity was a “tremendous” improvement in the treatment of adults with learning disabilities, adding: “We want it to be so everyone is accepted.”

The full results were as follows:

Swim for Gillotts (Gillotts School) — 109 lengths; Barracudas (Valley Road year 6) — 90; Torpedoes (Valley Road Year 5) — 90; Water Warriors (Valley Road year 6) — 82; Smiley Sharks (Trinity) — 79; Terrific Turtles (Trinity) — 78; Wonderful Whales (Trinity) — 78; Fast Fishes (Nettlebed) — 71; 1st Henley Brownies 69; Meteorites (Mencap) — 69; Super Seals (Nettlebed) — 69.