Lost gear puts dampener on fundraiser
Fionnaigh McKenzie is worried she will end up swimming in circles this weekend.
The Normandale mother of two is planning to undertake a 9km ocean swim to help raise funds for humanitarian aid in Syria.
Her only problem is, she left all her swimming gear on a bus and it included her wetsuit and prescription goggles.
‘‘I need the goggles otherwise I will swim back to shore.’’
Prescription goggles are expensive to replace. ’’They are over $100, if you want both eyes to be different.’’
The gear was left on the 110 bus to Upper Hutt on Monday, March 6, and she is appealing to whoever found it to hand it in.
A social worker at Hutt Hospital, she is an unlikely long distance swimmer.
‘‘I first got into swimming because I had injured my back. I do not really do sport, except riding my bike to work.’’
The desire to raise money for Syria came after seeing publicity about a charity called ReliefAid founded by New Zealander Mike Seawright.
‘‘I heard an interview with Mike, talking about how his staff in Aleppo felt like the world had forgotten about them. I wanted them to know that there are people on the other side of the world who do care.’’
McKenzie decided to do a sponsored swim to raise money. She swum the Capital Classic in January, covering 4.4km in tough conditions and raising $4000.
That was the longest distance she had ever swum and it gave her the confidence to aim higher.
This Saturday she is swim- ming 9km from Moutohora (Whale Island) to Whakatane with a group who are also raising money for ReliefAid.
Although she has only had a few weeks to prepare for the longer distance, McKenzie is ‘‘hopeful’’ of going the distance.
‘‘I’ve managed to get past a shoulder injury, but now I have to replace all my gear as well! I had my gear with me because I was going to swim at Point Howard after work – I still went swimming but it was pretty chilly.’’
McKenzie is doing the swim with WhaleAid Aleppo, a group of Whakatane based swimmers who have been moved by the plight of families in Aleppo.
Go to WhaleAid Aleppo on Facebook or givealittle