Kelly lends a hand to help drive Swimathon Weekend numbers

British Swimming's Big Splash Post a comment

Posted: Friday 6th January 2012 | 17:20

WORLD junior champion Rachael Kelly joined a host of Newcastle-under-Lyme locals at the Jubilee Pool on Thursday to mark the launch of the world's largest fundraising swim.

LENDING A HAND: Rachael Kelly helped hold a mass training session in Staffordshire ahead of this year's Swimathon Weekend

Kelly led swimmers, club members and schools alike in a special mass training session to encourage Staffordshire residents to enter this year's 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 2.5km, 5km, or team 5km challenges for Marie Curie Cancer Care at 645 pools throughout the UK from April 27-29.

And Kelly, who set a new championship record on the way to 100m butterfly gold at the World Junior Championships in Lima in August, was delighted to endorse the mass participation event.

"It's great to get people involved in swimming and it's really pleasing to see so many people who want to take part," said Kelly.

"I helped a bit with a swimming session with some of the youngsters although I'm injured at the moment so I was a bit limited in what I could do.

"We also had a photo shoot, and it's a great cause we are supporting so hopefully we can get a lot of people taking part in the Swimathon in April.

"I don't know if I'm going to be able to take part in the Swimathon myself with other events that I have coming up this year but it's definitely something I want to do at some point."

Swimmers can register to take part in a Swimathon Weekend challenge at swimathon.org. For more information visit http://www.swimathon.org/