The Isle of Man Swimming Association has organised a 24 hour swim at the Western Swimming Pool in Peel and is looking for teams to take part.
 
Teams of up to 8 swimmers are asked to swim for one hour continually in an endeavour to swim the greatest number of lengths. The event will commence at 10am on Sunday 13th April and run through until Monday 14th April at 10am. This is the first time a challenge event of this level, in the swimming arena, has ever been organised.
 
A trophy will be awarded to the team who swim the most! Entry fee for the team event is ?50. The entry fee will raise much needed funds for the swimmers with a donation being made when all funds are counted to Hospice Isle of Man.
 
Barclays Wealth and Investment Management has kindly sponsored the event. To register your team please contact Sonia Grainger on email Sonia.grainger@barclays.com.
 
National Swim coach, Lee Holland added: “We are very grateful to Barclays Wealth and Investment Management for sponsoring this event. The squad swimmers will be in one lane, with the Challenge trophy happening in the lane beside them.”
 
“I am keen to raise funds to support our swimmers but also to achieve a unique event on the Isle of Man.”
 
“By 10am on Monday 14th April we will all be exhausted but will have the satisfaction of knowing we swam our way into raising funds.”
 
“I will be getting wet myself and would encourage all our parents, other coaches, and swimming teachers to enter a team in the challenge and show the youngsters that they can swim too!”
 
“I would also like to thank Kath Andrews and the Board at the Western Swimming Pool support with this initiative.”
 
Hospice is our chosen charity to benefit but swimmers will have the choice of raising funds for a charity of their own choice. Hospice is a one of two charities being supported this year by Barclays Wealth and Investment Management.
 
Sonia added: “It will be a great event, I have some teams already registered but there is still space. Families can enter, along with corporates, it will be a fun event. There will be cake stalls, music and lots more happening.”
 
Mary said: “Hospice is thrilled to be the nominated charity for this event – we will be there supporting all the swimmers and who knows we may get our toes wet too.”
 
“Thank you to everyone that enters – as a charity that needs to raise ?3.6 million each year fun events like this are a great way of helping us to continue to help others.”
 
“I have no doubt this will be a huge challenge so we are really grateful to everyone that gets involved.”
 
To find out more about swimming on the Isle of Man visit http://www.iomswim.im/
 
To find out more about Hospice visit www.hospice.org.im, like them on FB at hospiceiom or follow them on Twitter on hospiceiom.
 
Photo - Lee Holland, National Swim coach with Challenge Team event coordinator for Barclays Wealth and Investment Management, Sonia Grainger and Mary Doyle of Hospice.