Onslow Village Mums Make A Splash For Dementia Research

Published on: 30 Jun, 2021
Updated on: 30 Jun, 2021

Lisa Mackie and Emma Whiteacre from Onslow Village in Guildford created a unique challenge for themselves to raise money for Alzheimer’s Research UK.

They have splashed their way to more than £3,500 so far, smashing their original £500 target.

Lisa Mackie and Emma Whiteacre complete their 3 Swim Challenge for Alzheimer’s Research UK.

Lisa and Emma had decided to take up the ‘swim couch to 5k’ training programme as a way to shake up their mental and physical health after months at home.

But 5k sounded a long way to swim so they broke it down into three sessions, the Guildford Lido, Bracklesham Bay in West Sussex and The Quays in Mytchett.

Inspired by several family diagnoses and stories of dementia in the last year, the 3 Swim Challenge was born.

Lisa Mackie and Emma Whiteacre at The Quays in Mitchett

All done on June 21, the summer solstice, Lisa said: “We were hoping for a beautiful summer sunrise, instead, we found ourselves getting into the Quays lake in the near dark”.

Fitted in around their working days, they swum 1.3km in the rain in the Lido and finished the day at the coast.

Families provided lots of support, cheering the working mums on for the final swim at the coast. “Just Keep Swimming!”

“We were pumped to finish up what we had started, absolutely exhilarated.”

Georgi Welch, regional fundraising officer at Alzheimer’s Research UK, said: “We’re so grateful to Lisa and Emma for supporting Alzheimer’s Research UK.

“One in three people over 65 in the UK will die with some form of the condition. Fantastic fundraising efforts like this will help us to make life-changing research breakthroughs for people with dementia.”

You can still sponsor Lisa and Emma. Visit https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/3-swims-challenge.