Matt and Ollie's triathlon challenge!

Aim

Matt and Ollie are going to run, swim and cycle the equivalent of a triathlon (102km) over the Easter holidays in aid of Swim Bournemouth.

Matt and Ollie are going to run, swim and cycle the equivalent of a triathlon (102Km) each over the Easter holidays. As you know Ollie is more of a water baby and Matt a land mammal so they have agreed to complete a minimum of 15km in each sport.  

Ollie swims for our local swimming club, Swim Bournemouth. He trains 14 hours a week, getting up at 4.30am 5 mornings a week and returning to the pool 3 evenings a week. Last year he qualified for just 2 regional events but this year he has moved into the performance squad, qualified for 8 regional events (and is very close to 3 more qualifying times) and has qualified for 2 level one national preparation meets!  

Why are we crowdfunding?

Full of incredible talent, athleticism, drive & commitment to fulfill their sporting ambitions the members are not as privileged as lots of swimmers and don't have a 50m pool to train in regularly. In fact we travel to Bath, Aldershot and Somerset for a 2 hour training session when we can get access. The club aims to provide the best experiences and opportunities for each and every swimmer's journey, regardless of their ability.

We are aiming to take a select few of our elite swimmers, on an intensive 6-day training camp, next October in Greece. Giving these swimmers a chance to walk in the shoes of professional athletes, emulating their heroes and role models. 

Everyone across the world was drastically affected by Covid, including our swimmers. Pools were shut across the country and swimming was one of the last sports to restart, meaning a lot of our swimmers have had to battle to reach their projected ability and full potential. Missing out on a lot of time to hone in on their technique and harness their energy, all the while still physically growing and developing into young incredible adults. Adapting to their new strengths, weaknesses, and changes has taken a lot of drive, commitment, and determination. Something we feel our swimmers have in abundance. 

Giving them the opportunity to attend an intensive, holistic, all-encompassing training camp, we feel, would provide them with the springboard needed to keep pushing for what sometimes feels like unreachable goals. Enabling them to have this incredible experience, and live the life of a high-level athlete will be the perfect start to their season. 

These talented young athletes, from such diverse backgrounds, are a pillar in our club, giving the aspiring juniors, role models to look up to, and seeing all they achieve only drives them to push harder. These swimmers, along with their parents, commit so much of their time, money, and energy into the club, that we would love to relieve some financial burden for this upcoming opportunity. Anything you can give to help this camp become a reality would be much appreciated!

This project successfully funded on 18th April 2023