Two Henley locals have successfully completed a strenuous downhill swim through the icy river in Finland, raising almost £1,200 for charity.
David Wallace and Giles Lovegrove, aged 55 and 50 respectively, took on the 24km challenge in memory of loved ones and to support Sue Ryder, which provides palliative and bereavement care.
Mr Wallace said that the charity had a deep impact on his family post his mother’s death due to mesothelioma in 2019. He thought that her mother was very fearful of death, but the care she received from the staff of Sue Ryder, not only physically but mentally too, made her feel more at peace. He never forgot how one of the nurses of Sue Ryder gently guided her mother during her final moments.
This connection to the cause deepened when his mother-in-law was later cared for by the charity’s nurses. A personal link was also shared by Mr Lovegrove, having seen Sue Ryder support his mother-in-law.
Though both men are strong swimmers, neither of them had attempted this act in the past.
Mr Wallace got the inspiration from social media, where he had seen someone post about his 24 km challenge down a river in Finland, and from that moment, he decided to give it a try. After a moment of hesitation and panic about the distance of 24 km, which is halfway from Henley to London, he started his training. He conducted rigorous training in winter which gave him something to think about.
The challenge turned out even tougher than it was expected to be, with Finland experiencing its coldest summer on record. Hopefully, for the swimmers, conditions improved before their arrival. Mr Walace recalled how they had arrived just south of the Arctic Circle in Northern Finland in the middle of nowhere, with the absence of clouds in the sky. The temperature of the water had risen from 14 degrees to 18 degrees, and it turned out to be a truly magical experience.
The course was completed by the pair in six hours and 17 minutes.
Mr Wallace, reflecting on this achievement, said that his mother would have loved the challenge. She liked to dive when she was a child and was generally a more outdoorsy person. This was a perfect event to choose in her memory. He felt a sense of achievement, and on remembering her, it was hard to believe that he had actually completed it.
Donations are open to all who support their fundraiser. Anyone interested in taking on their own challenge for Sue Ryder can contact the charity’s fundraising team at thamesvalley.fundraising@sueryder.org or by calling 0118 9550433.
