Amelia Skittrall may be one of the youngest competitors taking part in the Big Splash Mile for Sport Relief Challenge, but the seven-year-old is confident about making a splash for charity.
The Grange Junior School pupil will be swimming a mile – 64 lengths – at the Highworth Rec on Friday as part of Swimathon Weekend. She has already raised £150.
“I do a lot of swimming but I have never swum a mile before,” she said.
“I am swimming for Sport Relief because at school they showed me a movie on how poor some people are and that made me want to help them.”
Swimathon Weekend 2012 hits 645 pools across the UK between April 27 and 29.
At seven, Amelia is one of the youngest competitors raising funds.
Last week, she was lucky enough to attend a training session with Duncan Goodhew in Cirencester in preparation for her big splash swim.
“I am a bit nervous. My mum and my five-year-old brother, Finlay, will be cheering me on,” she said.
“My favourite swimming stroke is breaststroke.
“I will be doing all different kinds on Friday.”
Amelia, who is a member of the Swindon Amateurs, swims once a week and is hoping to be a swimmer when she grows up.
The Swimathon, which is in its 25th year, has joined forces with British Swimming and BBC’s Big Splash, Marie Curie Cancer Care and Sport Relief to promote what is hoped will be the biggest Swimathon Weekend This year’s event is giving thousands of swimmers the opportunity to raise funds for Marie Curie Cancer Care through Swimathon’s established distance challenges and for Sport Relief with the new Big Splash Mile for Sport Relief.
All the money raised for the Big Splash Mile for Sport Relief will be spent by Comic Relief to help people living incredibly tough lives, both in the UK, and across the world's poorest countries.
“Just £2 could buy nutritional porridge to feed a child my age in Kenya for a whole week, and £5 could allow a child living on the street to go to school in India,” Amelia said.
Swimathon started in 1986 and since then more than half a million swimmers have taken part, raising more than £3m for charity.
To sponsor Amelia visit http://my.artezglobal.com/personalPage.aspx?registrationID=384250&langPref=en-CA.
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