Tri4Life members take to open water for charity
MEMBERS of local community group
Tri4Life swam where pictured on Saturday, 18 April, on the Thurstaston Slipway
to West Kirby Sailing Club, as they started the Big7Swim Extreme challenge. 26 members will
now be completing 7 open water swims 'from Liverpool to North Wales' over the course
of the summer to raise funds for Stick 'n' Step and other local charities. The
challenge is the first of its kind locally.
The Big7 Swim Extreme will see a team of almost 40 people, including 26 swimmers
and 15 support staff, cover an estimated 40 miles of coastal waters (and a lake)
from April to September. As well as swimming across the Mersey, the group will
swim from Hilbre Lifeboat point to West Kirby Sailing Club, Mostyn to West Kirby
Sailing Club and cover a mile-long route around West Kirby marina during the
night. The biggest events include an 11 mile swim from Egremont to Hilbre
Lifeboat Point and a solo, one-way swim across Lake Windermere, which is around
10.5 miles.
Tri4Life was established by a group of friends and their families from Wirral in
2003, with the aim to encourage youngsters to keep fit and stay healthy through
exercise. Each year, the group sets its members a new fitness challenge, pushing
the boundaries of what's possible, to promote the importance of living a healthy
lifestyle. Challenges have included the USA Challenge, a 2800 miles cycle across
America from Washington to Los Angeles, the Enduroman Arch to Arc Relay, a
300mile triathlon from London to Paris, and the GB and Eire Challenge, a five
country triathlon involving four peaks and three lakes. This year is the turn of
the Big7Extreme.
Stick 'n' Step began in 2002 and Tri4Life has been supporting the charity for
almost as long. In 2012, when preparing for the USA Challenge, some of the
members visited Stick 'n' Step to see first-hand where the money raised goes.
One of those was Dave Walton, who has been volunteering at the charity ever
since.
Commented Dave Walton, Tri4Life member and Stick 'n' Step volunteer: "When
I first came to visit Stick 'n' Step, I was completely drawn in. There's a real
synergy between what the children here and those who are involved with Tri4Life
are working towards. The children are very reliant on this service and it's
helping them to push the boundaries of what's possible, which is exactly what
Tri4Life is all about. Since Tri4Life started, we've (literally) climbed
mountains and overcome so many obstacles. It's been wonderful to see so many
members achieve incredible personal fitness milestones, empowering them to push
on and keep striving. The key to this year's challenge is to overcome the
difficulty that swimming in cold, open shores brings, after only having had a
month of practice outdoors. But, I have no doubt that the team will work
together to do the best they can for both themselves and the charities that we
are supporting."
Commented Clare Ashworth, fundraiser at Stick
'n' Step: "Tri4Life has supported us for a number of years now. The amount
donated has already made a significant impact to the lives of children with
cerebral palsy, of which Dave is able to see first-hand as part of his volunteer
work. The support of community fundraisers has been pivotal in allowing us to
grow tenfold over the last 12 years. It means that 70 children with cerebral
palsy from the North West now benefit from free conductive education each week,
which helps them learn new skills such as moving around independently, sitting
unaided and walking. We wouldn't have been able to get to this point without
groups like Tri4Life and so we are incredibly grateful to them for their ongoing
fundraising and support."
As well as Stick 'n' Step, the group will be raising funds for Christ the King
Handicapped Children's Group (CTK HCG) and Tri4Life Charitable Fund. CTK HCG is
a North West charity run by volunteers who, each Easter, take disabled and
disadvantaged children away on the trip of a lifetime to Lourdes, France,
offering a week of respite for parents and carers. The Tri4Life Charitable Fund
aims to provide support for young people towards the realisation of their
potential in sport, arts, dance, drama and education, and to help other
charities and good causes.
To sponsor the Big7Swim Extreme team visit:-
JustGiving.com. For more information
about Stick 'n' Step, and how you can help, visit:-
StickNStep.Org
or call the centre on:- 0151 638 0888.
