Swim challenge is launched

FORMER Irish international rugby player David Wallace, TV3 presenter Laura Woods, The Last Word presenter Matt Cooper and retired Olympic swimmer Melanie Nocher were on hand last week to launch the third annual ‘Swim for a Mile Challenge.’

Wallace, Woods and Cooper will be taking part in the challenge which involves 12 weeks of training to reach their ultimate goal of swimming a mile.  

The challenge, which is run by Swim Ireland, is open to swimmers of all abilities, from the regular to the lapsed. 

The events will take place at 12 pools nationwide in the first week of April, including the National Aquatic Centre (NAC) and the Trinity College pool.  

To sign up for the challenge visit www.swimforamile.com The fee is €25 and includes access to a free training programme, coaching clinics delivered by Irish Olympians, online training support and advice from qualified Swim Ireland coaches.

The support provided will help to improve swimming technique, increase levels of fitness and ensure readiness to complete the mile (64 lengths of a 25-metre pool, equivalent to the distance swam in an Olympic Triathlon). 

There is also a new format introduced this year of a 2 x ½ mile (800m) relay programme for those who would like a swimming companion and a shorter distance. 

Swim Ireland have also opened the programme this year to 12-16 year-olds to encourage them to keep up their swimming skills.

Chief executive of Swim Ireland Sarah Keane said swimming is one of the only sports in which people of all abilities and ages can get involved. 

“Through Swim for a Mile we aim to show this and to encourage everyone to get involved and get active,” said Ms Keane.  

“The programme has been specifically developed in line with the Department of Health guidelines on exercise and aims to encourage people and give them the tools to embark on a new healthier lifestyle. 

“We are excited about the 2016 initiative and the impact it’s going to have in terms of growing the sport and encouraging as many people as possible to experience the benefits of swimming.”

Former Irish international rugby player David Wallace is ready to take on the Swim for a Mile challenge despite being a lapsed swimmer. 

“I would be far more comfortable on the pitch than I would be in the pool and I don’t consider myself a strong swimmer,” he said. 

“But I am really looking forward to taking on this new challenge to swim for a mile. 

“I will be taking part in the coaching clinics in the pool at UL Sport, Limerick which will help to improve my technique and improve my fitness and get me ready for my challenge on April 5. There is a great bonus of swimming being low impact on my body too which after years of the high impact rugby will be very much welcomed.”

Laura Woods, who swam competitively as a child, is also looking forward to the event not only for fitness, but also as a form of mindfulness.

“Taking on the challenge will allow me to give focus to my sessions in the pool and it’s a great motivation for the start of a new year,” she said. 

For more information on this event, visit www.swimforamile.com