Celebrating Swimathon 2023
Meet one of our Swimathon superstars, Johnny!
We hold a big place in our heart for Swimathon at Places Leisure, and every year we get to see lots of Swimathon superstars arise from the event. One of them is Johnny!
Johnny talked us through his motivations for taking part in Swimathon this year, and how swimming has become so important to him.
“Swimming has always been a big part of my life because I enjoy the freedom of being inside the water…over the years I have made so many friends through swimming.”
In his words, swimming attracts a diversity of people from all walks of life, who have one thing in common - the love of swimming.
Johnny has an impressive track record of taking part in Swimathon. After entering in 1987 and completing each event every year since, it’s been fundamental to him and his wish for cancer to have a cure.
“Because I am a teacher within a school, I am surrounded by young people and wish to be a role model for them. Taking part in events like the Swimathon is part of a clean-living lifestyle that I wish to pass on to younger people. Therefore, I like to lead by example.”
With Johnny’s love of the pool and his drive to take part in another 30+ Swimathons, there are no signs of him stopping anytime soon!
When he’s not swimming, you can find Johnny outdoors and staying active through walking, hiking, and cycling.
As the world’s largest annual fundraising swim, Swimathon gives a great chance for people of all abilities to swim for a good cause, offering a multitude of challenges from 400 metres to 5km.
Johnny’s top tip for getting stuck in? “Start small and grow big.”