Little Dippers Join the Annual Bantham Swoosh
CHILDREN will be joining hundreds of open water swimmers for the first time this year at The Outdoor Swimming Society's annual Swoosh event at Bantham in South Devon.
The charity event, where hundreds of intrepid adult swimmers take to the water on the turning tide and swim 6km downstream from Aveton Gifford to the sea at Bantham, has been running since 2015.
But this year, for the first time, ‘little dippers' will be given the opportunity to do ‘The Mini Swoosh' - accompanied by adults and safety teams - a few hundred metres from just below the Bantham Boathouse to the finish line beyond the iconic pink house at Jenkins Quay.
After the main race is over they will be picked up by jetskis from the finish line and taken upstream with their adult to get in the water and swim for the final 500 to 600 metres of the course and experience the famous ‘swoosh' of the ebbing tide.
Organiser Kate Rew of the Outdoor Swimming Society said of this year's pilot project: "Children are the keenest converts to outdoor swimming, and we wanted to give the next generation the chance to enjoy the Swoosh safely, so we're delighted to be holding a pilot event this year, for 40 junior Swooshers from aged six to 16". 'As mother to two young boys I know how keen children are to be involved with their parents swimming. We support this next generation of outdoor swimmers, and are delighted to welcome them for the first OSS children's event, the mini Swoosh".
This is the fourth year for The Swoosh which has proven to be an enormously successful family event at the world-famous estate in South Devon.
Nicholas Johnston, owner of the Bantham Estate, said: "We are thrilled to be able to welcome the Outdoor Swimming Society back to Bantham for the 4th annual ‘Swoosh' event. This is such a happy occasion with many swimmers returning to the River Avon - and we welcome them warmly back to Bantham - but equally we hope that those here for the first time find the day to be filled with personal enjoyment and sporting achievement. We look forward to another special day at the start of our busy summer holiday season".
In the first year, 2015, 200 people took to the water, raising money for a range of charities including local Aveton Gifford swimming pool. In 2017 six swimmers raised total of £2567.44 in 2018 six swimmers are aiming to raise a target of £2950 for the community pool.
The other charity benefitting from the Swoosh is Level Water who fundraise to give free swimming lessons to children with disabilities. For more information click here: https://www.levelwater.org/learn-to-swim
