Thousands Complete the Uk's Biggest Open Water Swim

The Great North Swim, in association with Coventry Building Society, returned to beautiful Brockhole on Windermere this weekend for the annual celebration of open water swimming.

Around 6,500 swimmers took to the lake, cheered on by around 20,000 spectators, across the three day event which caters for all ages, abilities and levels of experience across a variety of swim distances.

Some swam for fitness, some for the challenge, whilst many were raising money for charities close to their heart, like Katie Taylor-Rossall from Preston who took on the 5K swim on Friday for Cardiac Risk in the Young.

“Cardiac Risk in the Young is a charity that is super close to my heart after my sister died suddenly whilst out on a run with no signs or symptoms that anything was wrong. Cardiac Risk in the Young helped my family by testing our family to make sure our hearts were ok and nothing similar was going to happen to us. She passed away 10 years ago which is why we are trying to raise £10,000 over the course of this year as a team so the Great North Swim is my first ever open water event and it's the first of a series I'm doing this summer trying to hit that target.”

Paralympian Lyndon Longhorne from County Durham swam the 10K Course and provided inspirational words for his fellow swimmers.

“As a quad amputee everything is all about upper body. I've done it for like 12 years so I've never had an issue with swimming. Getting in the water to start with it can be quite difficult because you don't know what you can do, but if you automatically start saying “I can actually do this” anyone can do it, it's all about your mindset. Your body is much stronger than you actually think. We always say if you can adapt to any situation then it will massively open up the doors for more opportunities.”

PROTECTING THE WATER

This year saw the launch of a new fundraising initiative by title partner Coventry Building Society. ‘Beat Your Best’ encouraged swimmers of all abilities to set themselves a target time before entering the water. For every swimmer who beat their target, Coventry Building Society will mark the achievement by making a donation to the Lake District Foundation upto £10,000.

Jon Badger, Senior Sponsorship Manager Marketing at Coventry Building Society said,

“As title partner of the Great North Swim, it was inspiring to see so many people coming together to enjoy the beauty of the Lakes and experience the benefits of open water swimming. It’s a brilliant celebration of the outdoors and community spirit, and we’re especially proud to support the Lake District Foundation through our ‘Beat Your Best’ challenge, which aims to make a positive difference in the local area.”

MORE THAN SWIMMING

Staged in the stunning surroundings of the Lake District National Park, the CBS Great North Swim is a vibrant celebration of the local community and environment. With beautiful scenery and rich cultural heritage, the Lake District always offers a stunning backdrop to this thrilling event.

At the heart of the event village, SwimFest delivered a programme of guest speakers, Q&As and book signings throughout the weekend. Free to attend and open to everyone, Swimfest provided the perfect opportunity to relax and soak up the event atmosphere whilst enjoy the well deserved post swim drink with family and friends.

INSPIRED TO TAKE ON THE LAKE FOR YOURSELF?

2027 Coventry Building Society Great North Swim entries are open. Sign up now & Save with a Super Earlybird entry, for a limited time.