A mad idea in mid August started the ball rolling…

To Swim the Devon Coast from Coombe Martin in North Devon to Lyme Regis in East Devon.  According to the Southwest Coast Path guide the distance is 355km.

The pool length is 34m so 10,441 lengths were needed!  The Challenge could be divided into:

• North Devon, Coombe Martin to Marsland Mouth which is 138km (4059 lengths),
• South Devon, Plymouth to Starcross, 167km (4912 lengths),
• East Devon, Exmouth to Lyme Regis 50km (1471 lengths).

Help and advice was received from Ken who runs the pool website & the JustGiving page was a challenge in itself.  Their helpline gave good assistance in locating the Chagford Recreational Trust account then how to create the challenge page.  Updating it has eluded me!

28 swimmers took up the challenge, the last 2 signed up in the final couple of days – the enthusiasm of all & determination of some of the swimmers to reach their own goals has been impressive!

The generosity of those sponsoring the swimmers or donating separately has surpassed all expectations!

And in ONE month this is what has been achieved:

• 7485 Lengths = 254.5 km swum.
• The N Devon & E Devon coasts have been completed. That is 188km (5730 lengths).
• 5km of the S Devon coast has been swum going east from Plymouth. Almost Salcombe.
• One swimmer challenged herself to complete the E Devon coast, 50km, & having completed that kept swimming. What an achievement!
• Because the overall total was so big the decision was made in the first week to allow swimmers to include their lengths swum since July when the pool opened. Some did, some didn’t.
• The youngest swimmers were 7 & 9 years & the age range extended to over 70!
• The JustGiving page today is showing £2955 (plus £605 Gift Aid). There is £99 in cash so:

£3659 raised (& maybe more to come)

A huge thank you to the swimmers for fundraising and to all who have donated.

By being involved you have been supporting the pool through this very difficult year and, hopefully, helped it to be in a stronger position for the start of the 2021 season.

The JustGiving page will remain open into October so anyone wishing to donate can still do so – ‘click here’  or on the button, below.

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Because the pool is remaining open til Sun 20^th Sept the majority of the swimmers are keen to carry on with the challenge until closing day next Sunday.

Thank you to all the swimmers – it will be interesting to see how much more can be achieved with the extra week of swimming!

To date, Sun 13 September:

• 164.5km have been recorded. Two swimmers will be telling us their totals at the end of this week so we know further has actually been swum.
• One swimmer challenged herself to complete the E Devon coast, 50km, & she expected to complete that today. What an achievement!
• Therefore 164.5 – 50 =  114.5km of the N Devon coast has been swum leaving 23.5km to complete that coast.

With this amazingly dedicated group of swimmers still going for it can we manage 23.5km?

And if you fancy helping us then sign up – as every length counts!

The JustGiving page tonight is showing £1605 (plus £309) gift aid) so we are nearly double the original target with a week to go!  Thank you to the swimmers for fundraising and to all who have donated.

If you would like to take part, ‘CLICK HERE TO REGISTER’ – there is still time!

And if you wish to donate and not swim…

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Swimming the Devon Coast at Chagford Swimming Pool

A week into the Challenge:

• 16 swimmers have registered and are participating.
• Lengths recorded from 14 of them since the challenge started is 681 or approximately 23km so Woolacombe has been reached! 20% of the N Devon coast.  The range of lengths per swim is 4 – 60 lengths.
• On our JustGiving page £765 is recorded in donations so far (plus £144 in Gift Aid). Plus there are the donation buckets at the Pool.

What an amazing start and thank you to all those who are participating in any way.

The Devon Coast is very long, 355km, and how much is possible by the end of 13 September?

More swimmers are needed!!  And we have decided to also count swimmers lengths from when the pool opened in July.  If this helps us to be complete the N Devon coast, 138km, then that is excellent for this strange year.

If you would like to take part, ‘CLICK HERE TO REGISTER’ – there is still time!

And if you wish to donate and not swim…

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