Swimarathon marks 50 years with sea swim event

A charity swimarathon is marking its 50th year with a sea swim to raise money for charity.

The event was started in 1977 by the Lions Club of Guernsey, the Guernsey Round Table and the Variety Club of Guernsey. For half a century, islanders have taken part in the annual fundraiser at Beau Sejour trying to complete as many laps in the pool as possible.

For the first time in its history, organisers of this year's event have hosted a Salty Swim event at La Vallette Bathing Pools.

One of the swimarathon's first organisers, Nick Guillemette, said about £3m had been raised for charity over the years, and it was something everybody could get involved with.

This year's main beneficiary for the fundraiser is Les Bourgs Hospice.

Guillemette said the first event raised more than £20,000 - a figure which was yet to be beaten.

"The reason why we raised so much money in that first year was because in those days it was done with sponsorship, so much per lap," he said.

"It's now purely donations."

The former organiser said the swimarathon now involved every school on the island.

"Certainly a lot of the people who are swimming today are the grandchildren of people who swam in 1977 and that makes me feel ancient I have to say," he said.

Reflecting on memorable moments in previous events, Guillemette said he had seen babies being pulled along.

"I've seen babies, literally babies in little floating cradles being towed up and down," he said.

"What I hope is that this year, if everybody really gets behind it, that we top that hundred thousand pound mark... I really hope that happens."

John Stuart, chair of the Skipton Swimarathon organising committee, said this year's Salty Swim event added a "bit of vim and verve".

"I think what's so important to me, what Swimarathon is so much about, is community," he said.

"I think it's such an important aspect of people's own mental wellbeing, not just the swimming, building a stronger, better Guernsey in a very troubled and mixed up world that we live in at the moment."

Swims began on Wednesday and finish on Sunday.

Follow BBC Guernsey on X, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to channel.islands@bbc.co.uk.