Grant rises to Swimathon challenge in memory of his mum
A SWIMMER from Bristol has raised £3,236 for charity having completed this year’s Swimathon challenge.
Grant Buckley went back to the water last year and was soon swimming more than 100 lengths six times a week. He signed up to the Swimathon challenge to raise money for Cancer Research UK and Marie Curie after his mum was diagnosed with terminal cancer and sadly passed away less than two weeks later.
Buckley said: “My motivation was simple, my mum. She was just 79 and as far as we were aware, fit as a fiddle. She must have hidden so much pain from us all, so I wanted to raise money for cancer charities and when I saw Swimathon was supporting Cancer Research UK and Marie Curie, it was a no-brainer.”
Swimathon is the UK’s biggest annual recreational swimming event and its owner, the Swimathon Foundation, is a remarkable ‘force for good’ in communities all across the UK. More than 750,000 people have taken part since its formation in 1986 and have raised in excess of £54 million for a number of charities.
The 56-year-old civil servant had signed up to complete the 5km swim but when the original 2020 Swimathon was postponed in March and became a virtual event, Buckley completed the challenge in his own time at Jubilee Swimming Pool in Knowle.
He said: “To say that the staff at Jubilee were supportive, friendly, encouraging and professional, would be a massive understatement. They were truly magnificent and I’m eternally grateful to them for helping this old man get motivated and complete the challenge.”
Buckley was one of more than 18,000 swimmers who took part in the MySwimathon virtual challenge and contributed to the £1 million raised by Swimathon this year.
Swimathon president and Olympic medallist, Duncan Goodhew, said: “It’s been an immensely challenging year for us all in Britain, so I’m really pleased to most heartily thank people like Grant who are continuing with Swimathon to ensure really worthy charities have the necessary funding to continue supporting people who are so critically in need.
“Thank you and well done to Grant and all of our swimmers in Bristol from myself, the Swimathon team, Marie Curie and Cancer Research UK. You are all swimming heroes!”
» For more information about the Swimathon Foundation, visit www.SwimathonFoundation.org.