Commonwealth champion backs record-breaking fundraising swim

By Sportsbeat Staff

TWO-TIME Commonwealth champion Caitlin McClatchey joined a host of Leicester locals to mark the launch of the world's largest fundraising swim at the Aylestone Leisure Centre on Thursday.

CELEBRITY SUPPORT: Double Commonwealth champion Caitlin McClatchey was promoting world's biggest fundraising swim

McClatchey, who is set to rack up her third Olympic Games appearance at London 2012, led local swimmers, club members and schools in a special mass training session to encourage Leicestershire residents to enter the Swimathon Weekend.

Now in its 25th year, Swimathon has joined forces with British Swimming's Big Splash, Marie Curie Cancer Care and Sport Relief to hold the world's biggest fundraising swim.

Participants can swim the Big Splash Mile for Sport Relief or the 2.5k and 5k distance challenges for Marie Curie Cancer Care. The event is taking place in 645 pools throughout the UK from the 27 to 29 April.

And McClatchey was delighted to endorse the mass participation events.

"I am always happy to be involved with anything which encourages people to get into swimming," said McClatchey - who was joined by fellow Loughborough University swimmer and GB teammate Joe Roebuck at Aylestone.

"I feel really passionately about it and about getting kids and people swimming so I think Swimathon is a great idea.

"In Sport Relief and Marie Curie Cancer Care there are two very good causes too.

"No doubt we'll be swimming something like 6km both days over the weekend as we prepare for London 2012 but I think it's a great cause and it will be great to see lots of people getting involved."

Also in attendance was former Commonwealth silver medallist Matthew Bowe who is now part of the coaching team with the Loughborough squad as they prepare for London 2012.

And Bowe echoed McClatchey thoughts on the importance of the Swimathon and getting young people involved in swimming.

"It's great with London getting closer there's a real buzz around a lot of sports," he said.

"Swimming probably isn't the most publicised sport but it was great to see lots of kids come along to the event.

"We had probably about 50 or 60 kids turn up, so it's very promising and hopefully we can get a big turnout for the Swimathon as well."

For more information visit - http://www.swimathon.org/