Special Olympics Ireland announced as Official Charity Partner
January 15, 2018
Swim Ireland are delighted to launch the 2018 Swim for a Mile Challenge and announce Special Olympics Ireland as our continued Official Charity Partner. The challenge, which involves 10 weeks of training, gives participants the confidence and skills to reach the ultimate goal of swimming a mile while raising money for a worthy cause.
Swim for a Mile is open to swimmers of all abilities, from the regular to the lapsed, as long as you can swim at least two lengths of a pool; it is designed to get participants from swimming a couple of lengths to the mile. At the end of the 10 weeks, events will take place in pools nationwide where participants will join other swimmers to complete their mile. The training programme has been specifically developed in line with the Department of Health Guidelines on exercise and aims to encourage people and give them the tools to embark on a new healthier lifestyle.
Sarah Keane, CEO of Swim Ireland said: “We are excited about the 2018 initiative and look forward to seeing the further impact it’s going to have in encouraging as many people as possible to experience the benefits of swimming. Swimming is one of the only sports in which people of all abilities and ages can get involved and through Swim for a Mile we aim to show this and to encourage everyone to get involved and get active”.
The initiative, supported by Sport Ireland, will see €3 from every registration go directly to Special Olympics with individuals and clubs across the country also participating and raising funds.
Speaking about the new partnership Special Olympics Ireland CEO Matt English commented: “We are thrilled to partner with Swim Ireland’s Swim for a Mile again this year. This is a great initiative from Swim Ireland, encouraging everyone to get active and challenge themselves. 2018 is going to be a busy year for Special Olympics Ireland as we celebrate our 40th Anniversary and welcome the Ireland Games back to Dublin in June for the first time in 16 years. 1,600 athletes will compete in 13 different sports with 190 competing in swimming in the National Aquatic Centre and a further 15 athletes competing in Open Water Swimming. We are very grateful for the support Swim Ireland provides to Special Olympics and we encourage our clubs, our volunteers and the wider community to get involved in the Swim for a Mile Challenge”
To sign up for the challenge visit www.swimforamile.com, It’s FREE to sign up and access the programme, the fee is then €30 to access an event and coaching clinics delivered by Irish Olympians and Performance Swimmers. The support provided will help to improve swimming technique, increase levels of fitness and ensure readiness to complete the mile (64 lengths of a 25 metre pool, equivalent to the distance swam in an Olympic Triathlon). There is also an 800m programme available for those who would like to complete a shorter distance.
There are also a number of options for delivering Swim for a Mile with special offers for Swim Ireland Clubs available.
Swim Ireland will also run a Swim for a Mile Corporate Challenge in April (4th & 6th) during the Irish Open Swimming Championships which will encourage companies to get their employees into the pool to compete against each other for the Swim Ireland Cup!
For further information please contact Bethany Carson in Swim Ireland on swimforamile@swimireland.ie or (01) 6872110
