Fundraising for the MNDA, to honour Esther Rookes. Direct donations are welcome as well as donations for participation in the swim coaching event.

We are raising funds for the Motor Neurone Disease Association, in honour of Esther Rookes by offering one to one swimming coaching sessions on 17th and 18th December in exchange for donations. You can also simply donate, if you prefer.

Our Devon swimming community is varied, vast and full of character, it’s fiercely competitive, friendly, flawed and wonderful all at the same time, and it’s a county that puts its swimmers first, and the progress of the sport front and centre. From swimmers to coaches, parents to officials, everyone contributes something to Devon’s rich history, and few more so than Esther Rookes. 

Esther has been a stalwart of the Devon Swimming community for years. Starting as a parent when her two sons, Kieran and Nathaniel, swam with Tavistock Swimming Club, she quickly became a club committee member, and then became the competition secretary. She is now a Devon committee member and officials trainer and has served as a timekeeper, judge and referee. She is a multiple award winner, at Devon, Regional and National levels, in recognition of her outstanding service and has recently been made President Elect for the Devon County Swimming Association - the hours that Esther has given to swimming are immense. She now continues to give up her time to support the DCASA as well as Dinnaton swimming club with officiating, training officials, and any other support she can offer. Whether you have met her or not, she has had an impact on anyone who has swum in Devon over the last 15 years.

The Devon community learned in July that Esther, has been diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease, and writing this sentence - it feels very difficult to add anything else to it. Esther, as she is, has approached the news with bravery, charm and compassion - she intends to enjoy the things she enjoys, do the things she’s wants to do, and create memories and experiences that are fresh, and new. 

As part of that, Esther, her husband Trevor, and her son’s have agreed to allow us to support her through fundraising for the Motor Neurone Disease Association, both the national and the local Plymouth branch. On the proviso, that what we do, in true Esther fashion- helps the swimmers.

As we have done in the past for other causes, local coaches are offering one to one coaching sessions over two days just before Christmas, with the Plymouth Life Centre generously offering us use of their pool to show their support. On the 17th/18th December 2022, we will run 1 hour sessions, in exchange for a donation towards Esther’s chosen charity.  You can also simply donate, if you prefer.

Any coaches wishing to get involved and offer their time, clubs and swim schools who wish to run tandem events, or join in our fundraising efforts that weekend in their own pools - we would be immensely grateful.

Esther has given up a lot for Devon, let’s do what we can to support her now. Thank you all. 

Please see this recent documentary for further information about living with MND:

https://www.mndassociation.org/rob-burrow-living-with-mnd/

And please visit the MNDA website for more information on their work with MND patient support and research

https://www.mndassociation.org

Thank you