When Donna and Sara individually took the plunge to open
water swimming (under the watchful eyes of the Burr Point Buoys) in the winter
of 2020, neither of them thought that this would send them on a crazy journey
that would challenge them both!

After having different reasons for “taking the plunge” and
both becoming not only addicted, but forging an amazing friendship, and support
to other new swimmers, they set themselves the challenge of 100 consecutive swims
between January and March 2021.

Having smashed that target, Donnas daughter Caity, upped the
challenge to do 400 swims by the end of the year. No mean feat when that means
more than once a day, considering our climate and the chilly Irish Sea!!

Never to be beaten by a challenge these two “balloons”, as
they are fondly referred to by their swim buds, agreed to do 400 swims by the
end of 2021. Juggling the challenge with work and tide times they are a familiar
sight scooting round the Ards Peninsula in “Scooby” in search of water, and just
to challenge themselves further they are now going to smash the challenge by
the 5^th Dec 2021, with double and triple dips supported not just by
each other but their wider swim family.

As much as this started as a fun challenge, it was suggested
that such an amazing achievement, not just the chills of the sea, but such a
commitment in friendship, could be used to raise funds for a charity close to
both families. Donna and Sara have chosen to support Dementia NI.

Dementia NI aims to;

• Challenge the stigma of having a diagnosis by raising
awareness about dementia

• Promote the right for people living with dementia to be
involved in decisions that affect their lives

• Provide training, education and awareness to organisations
and the public on how to best support people living with dementia

• Support people living with dementia to raise awareness of
dementia in their own right