The Thornbury Rotary Swimarathon has been a big fundraising event which has raised in excess of £500,000 for charity in the past 30 years.

As this year’s President of Thornbury Rotary I wanted to play my part and join in the fun. I enjoy snorkelling when on holiday so surely I could swim a few lengths, couldn’t I? I thought I might need a little practice, but my first attempt was a stark reminder that it has been over 20 years since I did any proper swimming in a pool and that whilst I might be fit enough to run around a tennis court, when it comes to swimming lengths I am way out of my depth!

So, I have enlisted some family and friends to help me tackle the Swimarathon challenge. I’m joined on the team by my wife Fiona and my daughters Kirsty and Alex. I’m grateful to fellow Rotarians Ben Bradley and Stuart Hill for adding their swimming experience to the team.

The “President’s Paddlers” team are aiming to raise as much money as possible for my two charities - The Friends of Bristol Oncology and Haematology Centre and the Thornbury and District Stroke Support Group. I am sure many of us will have friends or family members who have been affected by either cancer or strokes and these two local organisations provide wonderful support for those affected. I want to provide as much financial assistance for them as possible.

My goal for the team is to raise over £600

Pledging your support will encourage my team and me to train and rise to the Swimarathon challenge on Saturday 8th March.

Thank you on behalf of the team

Mark Wilkinson

Team Captain for “The President’s Paddlers”

Team includes Fiona, Kirsty & Alex, Ben Bradley and Stuart Hill