By Nelson Rodriguez
Armley Leisure Centre will be hosting a very special week of sport and charity from 26–30 May: Phil’s 22-Mile Channel Swim, a fundraising initiative in support of the Armley Good Neighbours project.
The Rev Phil Arnold, Vicar of Christ Church, Upper Armley, has taken on the challenge of swimming the equivalent of the English Channel for the Armley community.
The idea came about when Rev Arnold heard that a colleague had completed the equivalent of a run from Base Camp to the summit of Everest within his local area. Inspired by this, Phil’s goal is to swim 22 miles to raise funds to transform Christ Church into a community centre by improving the building.
Rev Arnold has received significant support from Leeds City Council.
He said: “I contacted the director of the Leisure Centre, Dean McKenna, nine months ago, and he agreed to make this happen.
“When I asked for some coaching last December, they put me in touch with Lucy Miller, a swimming teacher, and her father Alan Miller, a top coach who works with high-performance swimmers at Leeds City International Pool and the John Charles Aquatic Centre.”
According to estonline.com, crossing the Channel typically takes around 14 hours of continuous solo swimming.
At least 2,800 swimmers have completed it since Englishman Matthew Webb first achieved it in 1875, according to Infobae. Phil has scheduled his 22-mile challenge over 25 hours—five hours a day for five days.
If you would like to support Phil’s swim, Armley Leisure Centre will be providing two lanes for anyone wishing to join Phil for a one-mile swim.
Alternatively, you can make a donation of £10 or more by scanning the QR code below or visiting this crowdfunding site.
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