24-hour swim relay makes a splash by raising over £5,000 for Kent Neuro Therapy Centre
On Sunday 29 March at 7am, members of The Active Life Triathlon Club dove into an extraordinary challenge: a 24-hour continuous swim relay, finishing at 7am on Monday 30 March.
The club took on this challenge to raise vital funds for Kent Neuro Therapy Centre, whose hydrotherapy pool urgently needed repairs at the start of the year. This pool is an essential part of rehabilitation for people living with neurological conditions. Without it, many patients would lose access to life-changing therapy.
The challenge raised an amazing £5,227!
Dr Claire Boucher, who arranged the challenge, said:
“I’m incredibly proud of the Active Life Triathlon club for getting behind this fundraising challenge. We’re a really mixed group of swimmers and triathletes, aged 18 to 70, and together we swam continuously for 24-hours to raise funds to repair the hydrotherapy pool at the Kent Neuro Therapy Centre. As the lead coach and a Lecturer in Sport, Exercise, and Rehabilitation Science, I know how important facilities like this are, so it’s brilliant to see so many people taking on their own personal challenges to support it.”
Alongside this challenge, Kent Neuro Therapy Centre’s members took part in a swim challenge of their own, raising £1,180. Glen, Ali, John and George set themselves a target distance to walk or swim in 30 minutes – some even choosing to take on the challenge backwards!
The Centre’s hydrotherapy pool allows its members to receive aquatic physiotherapy – a variation of physiotherapy performed in water. It utilises the properties of water, for example buoyancy and resistance, to facilitate movement, strengthen muscles and achieve rehabilitation goals.
Nancy Reed, Head of Income Generation at Kent Neuro Therapy Centre, said:
“Our hydrotherapy pool is a lifeline for so many of our members here at the Centre, but it is also our most costly service to run. Every pound raised through this sponsored swim helps to ensure our members can access this vital therapy. A massive thank you to all the swimmers that took part in this impressive challenge!
“We are hugely grateful to the staff at Heron’s Leisure Centre, in particular Manager Karen Monticelli and lifeguards Amberlie and Kelly, without whom this challenge would not have been possible.”
Link to fundraising pages:
- Kent Neuro Therapy Centre: 24-Hour Swim Relay for the Kent Neuro Therapy Centre
- Kent Neuro Therapy Centre: Sponsored pool challenge
Video of members’ challenge:
