Sports Insight Magazine - Subscribe and Download for free

Aqua Sphere launches charity Swim Challenge

By: Jeff James

Listed Under: Top Story

Published: Thursday, March 04, 2010

Aqua Sphere is launching a new initiative to encourage swimmers of all abilities into the pool.

The men vs women Swim Challenge pitches the sexes against each other to raise funds and awareness for breast and prostate cancer.

Promoted across the UK with posters, product packaging stickers, icon placement on print adverts and social media networking on Facebook and Twitter, the interactive http://www.swimchallenge.org website allows swimmers to log their hours in the water, track their counterparts, monitor their personal progress and help decide the ultimate challenge - who rules the pool? Men or women?

Starting on April 1 and finishing on November 30, swimmers of all abilities will be encouraged to visit http://www.swimchallenge.org and register their swimming hours.

At the end of the Challenge, Aqua Sphere will divide a 25,000 euro donation between the Prostate Cancer Foundation and the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

The amount allocated to each foundation will be determined by the cumulative hours swum by each gender. Men will be swimming for the Prostrate Cancer Foundation and women for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

“Regardless of who clocks up the most time in the pool, both charities win in the end,” says Martin Newton, sales and marketing manager at Aqua Sphere UK.

“We’ve all been affected by cancer in some way or another, but instead of simply writing a cheque we wanted to do something fun that would promote a healthy lifestyle as well as some healthy competition.

“We all know the benefits associated with swimming, so if we can encourage more participation as a result of a spot of good natured gender warring, then all the better.

“So the only question remains: who will outlast the competition? Men or women? We can't wait to find out.”