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Diabetes UK - Olympic swimmer Kate Haywood launches Swim22

Member of the Great British Olympic swimming team and British record holder for the 100m breaststroke, Kate Haywood, launched our Swim22 fundraising event in London yesterday.

Swim22 allows swimmers who have always dreamed of tackling a cross-Channel swim to do the next best thing in the comfort of their local swimming pool, by completing 22 miles over three months.

22-mile challenge

We took a team of volunteers and staff to the swimming pool in Kentish Town to complete the distance all in one day, and Kate Haywood swam the first fifty lengths out of a total of 1,160. Our youngest swimmer, 10-year-old Zak Maddison-Roberts (pictured above, with Kate) swam 150 lengths. The team completed all 22 miles in four hours and forty-five minutes.

Other fundraisers have between 22 April and 22 July to complete the Swim22 mile challenge, and they can do it on their own or in teams.

Kate Haywood said, "Swimming is such a good way to stay fit and healthy, and it’s great to be a part of this 22-mile challenge to raise awareness of diabetes. I’m happy to help as swimming is what I do. I spend hours in the pool each week and I love it."

"Boast about swimming the Channel"

Diabetes UK’s Director of Fundraising, Paul Amadi, said, "It’s fantastic that Kate is supporting Swim 22. Swimming is a great way for people with diabetes to stay fit and active, and for people with the potential to develop Type 2 diabetes to reduce their risk. If you do Swim 22 you can boast about swimming the English Channel."

To find out more about how to take part, visit the Swim22 web pages or call 020 7424 1000 and ask for the Swim22 Team.

Goggle Gallery

Below is a slideshow of pictures from the launch event. If you are taking part in Swim22, you can submit your own pictures to our Goggle Gallery.

 

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