The Henley Swim, inspired by This Girl Can, is searching for five women to take up free places at an open water swimming event on 12 July 2015.
The Henley Mile and Half Mile are downstream swimming events open to men, women and children aged 8 and above, held on a beautiful stretch of the River Thames in Berkshire.
The organisers are encouraging more women to get involved in outdoor swimming and are offering a free place in the event, a training programme and a swimming goody bag to five women with little or no open water experience.
Women who are interested in taking up one of these free places will have to answer a few questions about themselves, and then describe what is driving them to have a go and what they think they will get out of the experience.
The chosen participants will receive a swimming starter kit, they will be helped with their training and equipment and the transition from the swimming pool to open water.
In return, they will be asked to update a short weekly blog, allowing others to share their experience, including all the highs and lows from the day they commit to the moment they cross the finish line.
Jeremy Laming, co-founder of The Henley Swim, says “We hope that the stories and achievements of the group of women we select will inspire others to get active and perhaps try something they didn’t even know they would enjoy doing.”
“Swimming in a natural environment is one of the most exhilarating feelings, and training for a specific end goal helps to keep the motivation going. We want a wider group of people to experience this feeling of self-achievement.”
Swimmers living in Berkshire, Buckinghamshire or Oxfordshire and aged 16-25 may also be eligible for some Sportivate funding to help with lessons and training for the event. They should enter the competition as normal, and will be informed if they qualify for a Sportivate grant.
The Henley Swim is also offering a free training swimming hat (while stocks last) to all women that enter The Henley Mile or Henley Half Mile online, having seen the This Girl Can competition.
The closing date for entries is Sunday 22 March 2015.
More information on the competition and the free hat offer is available online at henleyswim.com/this-girl-can.
The Henley Mile is one of a number of events organised by The Henley Swim, which also includes The Henley Classic, an upstream 2.1km swim setting off at dawn; The Bridge to Bridge, a 14km swim from Henley Bridge to Marlow Bridge; and the Club to Pub, a summer evening swim ending with a BBQ at the Angel on the Bridge pub.
The Henley Mile is open to men and women aged 14-75. There are also junior races for ages 8 upwards.
This Girl Can is the Sport England campaign encouraging women of all ages to be more active.
www.henleyswim.com
www.thisgirlcan.co.uk
