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Leisure Connection swimmers aspire to greater lengths
Olympian Nick Gillingham MBE has officially launched the nationwide challenge, 'Aspire Channel Swim 2002'.
Participants at 55 Leisure Connection pools and another 200 pools up and down the country, will aim to swim a distance of 22 miles (equivalent to an English Cross Channel swim), by December 1,2002.
Leisure Connection hopes the challenge will raise over £250,000 for Aspire (the Association of Spinal Injuries Research, Rehabilitation and Reintegration).
The Aspire charity has been chosen because most of the rehabilitation work carried out, with the estimated 50,000 people in the UK who have spinal injuries, takes place in the water.
The swim challenge can be completed individually or as part of a team. After each visit to the pool the number of lengths swum by the participant is recorded, until their total has taken them the distance from England to the French coast. To assist them, challengers can buy an 'Aspire Channel Swim 2002' participant pack containing all sorts of useful swimming goodies.
Prizes, including weekend breaks to Center Parcs and P&O Stena Line Channel Crossings, will be awarded to the swimmers around the country who raise the most sponsorship money for Aspire.
Tricia Lewis, Swimming Co-ordinator at Leisure Connection said: 'We are delighted by the number of people who have already signed up for this year's Aspire challenge and with Nick on board to help raise the profile of the charity, we hope that local communities around the UK will continue to demonstrate their support.' Details: www.leisureconnection.co.uk