GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - In February, two extraordinary mothers from the Union Schools community, Natalie Davenport and Kat Ott, will undertake an enormous task during the Midmar 8-mile swim* in KwaZulu-Natal to raise funds for the Childhood Cancer Foundation (Choc) of South Africa.
The duo decided to host a swimathon at Union Preparatory School on Friday 19 January and the whole community was invited to participate and donate.
"For a first time, I think we managed to pull it off well," said Davenport. "The kiddies surprised me! Our little Grade 2 Team Nemo swam 110 laps."
This equates to 2,75km and the youngsters, Sophia Ott, Amy Gerber, Riley Johaar, Alexis Basson and Garbriella Lekas, are only seven years old.
Another Union mom, Anna Clark, was the first to reach 200 laps (5km). Her daughter Gerda (14), did 160 laps (4km), while Dan Davenport (10) did an impressive 100 laps in 40 minutes.
Destiny Swimming Academy members Elise Steynberg and Tanya Fourie also joined and swam 160 laps, while local veterinarian Raoul Strydom did 40 laps with his family.
"To everyone who supported us, you are all amazing. We are both overwhelmed with the support and are so, so proud of every single swimmer. We are both very excited about the big event in February," said Davenport.
Natalie swam 7,2km in 2:21:16, while Ott did an amazing 7,4km in 3:01:38.
"We had our awesome friends from Volkskool join and Team Van Schalwyk - JJ, Zee and Janine - swam a total of 100 laps. We truly appreciate the support," said Davenport.
Fighting cancer is personal
Davenport and Ott are on a mission to raise funds for Choc. Last year, Davenport raised R10 600 for the Save the Rhino Foundation through her Midmar 8-mile swim.
Her dedication to this cause (Choc) is deeply personal as she has witnessed her loved ones battling the unforgiving grip of cancer, and it is this emotional connection that fuels her commitment. She believes that she can make a significant impact through her efforts.
In preparation for the upcoming event, she is working hard under the expert guidance of JP Seyffert of the Destiny Swimming School.
* The Midmar 8 Mile Challenge is an annual fundraising effort for various charities that entails swimming 8 events at the aQelle Midmar Mile in the Midmar Dam near Pietermaritzburg.
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