By Lucy Meredith
Swimmers from Bramley Mermaids Club have proved that every length counts after completing a successful Winter Swim Challenge at Bramley Baths.
The Bramley Mermaids, who train on Sundays at Bramley Baths and are well known for their vintage-style synchronised swimming performances, set themselves a collective target of swimming 180 kilometres over two months to raise money for the club.
Taking inspiration from record-breaking swimmer Diana Nyad, who completed the same distance swim from Cuba to Florida aged 64 the Mermaids wanted to see if they
could achieve the same distance together over the winter.
By the end of the challenge, the group had exceeded their target, swimming more than 200 kilometres between them.
For some of the team, swimming was part of recovering from injury, preparing for surgery, or finding confidence to return to the pool after time away.
One member took part to strengthen her body ahead of a hip replacement, while another used the challenge as motivation to get back into swimming after a shoulder injury.
A mermaid said: “This was probably the longest continuous swim I’ve done in three or four
decades.”
Many swims took place at the Mermaids’ home pool at Bramley Baths, which brought its
own quirks. The pool is measured in yards rather than metres, meaning swimmers had to do some quick maths while logging their distances.
Another mermaid added: “This has been a fantastic team effort. It’s about much more than the money we are raising – it’s the encouragement, the support and swimming for ourselves and for each other.”
The Bramley Mermaids hope their challenge shows that anyone can change the picture of what getting active looks like, and do this on their own terms and at any age. They thanked everyone who sponsored them.
If you want to find out more about Bramley Mermaids visit their website.
Fundraising details
The challenge is also raising funds to help the Bramley Mermaids continue swimming,
performing and sharing their love of the water. They have so far raised £2,435 of their £4,000 target.
Donations can still be made via their JustGiving page.
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