The Ohh Me Giblets Girls are open water swimming the 6 km Bantham Swoosh to fundraise for Level Water UK!

Who are the 'Ohh Me Giblets Girls'?

We are Karen, Rhian & Michelle! Collectively, we have been regulars to Open Water Swimming for over a year! What started as an exploration into the benefits of Open Water Swimming for midlife soon became a weekly wellbeing tool.... each of us individually experiencing the many benefits of Open Water Swimming!

If you follow any of us on Social Media you will have noticed that we swim nearly ever week, whatever the weather! Karen & Michelle even managed a couple of ice dips this winter! You may have also noticed that more recently we have all started to increase our swimming effort to include a pool swim (or 2) in addition to our weekly Open Water Swim (OWS).

Why? Well a few months ago whilst we were feeling brave and cocky after a winter of Open Water Swimming (and after a bit of wine consumption) we came up with a crazy idea to sign up for the Bantham Swoosh! A Charity 6km Open Water Swim to raise money for a fantastic charity called Level Water.

Despite our initial cockiness we are taking our training very seriously, and have already dedicated a large amount of our spare time to this! Each of us have already upped our regular weekly 500 meter / 750 meter swim to a 2km Pool Swim plus a 1km Open Water Swim with the aim of comfortably completing a 3km Open Water Swim by mid June.

The event is on the Saturday 8th July in Bantham Devon. We will swim 6km down the estuary, until the swim culminates in a 'swoosh' as the ebbing tide is funnelled through a narrow section of river! This will speed us over the riverbed at up to four times our usual swimming speed; it can run up to 8 knots!

Why? To raise money for Level Water UK to help them to fund swimming lessons for children with Disabilities.

Who are Level Water UK?

Level Water are a charity who teach children with disabilities how to swim. Swimming for children with disabilities is the biggest unmet need in sport. With your support, we will change that!

Level Water, use the power of swimming to improve lives for children with disabilities. They give children with disabilities the opportunity to learn to swim. From physical development to social and emotional confidence, swimming is a vehicle to change their lives for the better. Swimmers learn strength, mobility and coordination which help with physicality out of the water too. They develop confidence, resilience and self-esteem, which can change their path in life. The water takes your weight; it helps to relieves pain and offers freedom and independence that many children with disabilities may never experience elsewhere. By donating, you are giving these children the opportunity to learn to swim, develop emotional and social confidence and create a lifelong love of the water.

Everyone should have the opportunity to learn to swim and fall in love with the water. Level Water UK work in partnership with pools and swim schools around the country. They train teachers and help with funding to offer high-quality one-to-one lessons to children with disabilities.

By sponsoring us to complete this Charity swim you will be helping us to raise money so that many children with disabilities can experience the many benefits of swimming.