Challenge level: 3 out of 5
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27 September 2020 | On Sale | |
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Duration | 1 day |
Join Olympic swimmer Mark Foster and hundreds of other amazing people at the Olympic Lake in Eton for our first ever Swimming Challenge.
Choose to swim either a 2.2km (one full length), 5km (one complete lap) or 10km (two complete laps) course on this famous lake to raise vital funds and awareness of Regain Sports Tetraplegics Charity.
Through the charity’s incredible work, we’ll be helping countless people who have become paralysed in a sporting accident regain their independence.
We also have a specially designed 1km course for tetraplegic participants, who will be supported by Mark Foster and some other celebrity swimmers.
Deemed the best Olympic rowing venue by Denise Oswald (IOC member and FISA President), the Dorney Lake in Eton makes a brilliant location for our epic swimming challenge. But fear not – you don’t need to be an Olympic athlete to take part. People from all currents of life are welcome, as we come together for tetraplegics.
Kicking off the event with some vibrant entertainment, motivational speeches and an energised warm-up, you'll be buoyed up and raring to go by the time you start your swim.
Kitted with your In at the Deep End swim hat and time tag, we'll track your time - but it's not a race. Go at your own pace and enjoy the electric atmosphere!
We'll have a team of trained first-aiders, swimming specialists, life guards and medical support ready to help you out if needed.
Once you cross that beautiful finish line, we'll give you your In at the Deep End 2020 medal and feed the shark's appetite you've worked up with a tasty free meal and drink.
Help people Regain their independence
The best part of this challenge is that it’s all for Regain Sports Charity. Regain is the only charitable organisation dedicated to improving the lives of people who have become tetraplegic in a sporting accident.
One minute these individuals are fit, active and healthy; the next they are paralysed and in need of support for the rest of their lives. Regain helps these people to regain their independence and get back into sport after their accident. Because Regain is a small charity with a very specific cause, your funds will go a long way into helping them carry out their work.
Training Plans
See and download your expert Open Water Swimming Advice and free In at the Deep End 2020 training plan below:
Places for our first ever swimming challenge are likely to go faster than Mark Foster himself, so please register early to secure your place.
Are you tetraplegic?
Tetraplegics are more than welcome to join the challenge. We'll have a separate course for you, specifically tailored to tetraplegics to ensure your safety.
If you're tetraplegic, please get in touch with Regain to arrange this. The best way is to email the charity at enquiries@regainsportscharity.com or visit their website here.
The more money raised by participants on the challenge, the higher the percentage of funds that will directly support the life changing work of Regain Sports Charity.
£199
Minimum sponsorship target
As we have three different courses for In at the Deep End 2020, the registration fee will differ depending on which distance you choose to swim.
£25 - 1km course for tetraplegic participants
£39 - 2.2km (one complete length of the lake)
£49 - 5km (one full lap of the lake)
£59 - 10km (two full laps of the lake)
The additional cost for the 5km and 10km swim covers use of a floatation device required for these distances
The registration fee (£25 - £59, depending on the chosen distance) and challenge costs (included in the sponsorship target) cover:
The more money raised by participants on the challenge, the higher the percentage of funds that directly support the invaluable work of Regain Sports Charity, so we encourage you to raise as much as possible and exceed the minimum target if you can. As a small charity, every pound you raise really does count.
Click here to set up your JustGiving page for Regain and make sure to set your page up for the In At The Deep End 2020 event.
Click here to download a sponsorship form for In at the Deep End 2020.
Please don't worry if you haven't swum in open water before. We expect loads of the people taking part won't have swum outside when they sign up. We welcome people of all abilities looking for a challenge!
You do need to be a confident swimmer and you must be able to swim your chosen distance by the challenge date. However, it is by no means a race and you can totally swim at your own pace.
Please download your expert Open Water Swimming Advice and free In at the Deep End 2020 training plan below:
We strongly recommend that you follow our Open Water Swimming Advice and your training plan as closely as possible.
If you do get a chance to train in open water, we fully encourage you to do so; but it's no big deal if you train solely in a pool.
We'll have full challenge support, including a team of professional first aiders, swimming specialists and life guards there to help you out.
We also strongly recommend you wear a wetsuit during your training, as it is obligatory to wear one at the event. (We'll have wetsuits there for you to hire as well, but you will need to pre-order. This way, we can ensure we have the correct number of each size.)
The full address of our spectacular venue is:
Dorney Lake, Eton College Rowing Centre, off Court Lane, Dorney, Windsor, Berkshire, SL4 6QP
Lying just outside of London, you can get there easily from London, Heathrow Airport, the M4 corridor and the M3, M25 and M40 motorways.
Please visit the Dorney Lake website here for more information and directions from the motorway. There will be free parking at the venue for all participants.
If you're planning to use public transport, the nearest stations to Dorney Lake are Slough and Windsor & Eton Riverside.
It depends on the distance you choose, of course. We expect swimmers to take about 1hr/1hr 30 mins to complete the 2.2km distance, around two hours for the 5km distance and around four hours for the 10km distance.
Please remember, it is not a race and you do need to pace yourself appropriately. Don't be intimidated by faster swimmers and go full flippers at the start, as you may burn yourself out. You'll have lots of time to complete your distance at your own speed.
Please download your expert Open Water Swimming Advice and free In at the Deep End 2020 training plan below:
We welcome swimmers of all abilities looking for a challenge! You do need to be a confident swimmer and it helps if you're familiar with swimming in open water, but it's no problem if you've only ever swum in a pool. We expect a lot of people to be in the same boat when they sign up.
It also does not matter if you haven't ever swum long distance before. Again, we expect this to be the case for most of the lovely people who register. That's where the training comes in! As long as you are able to swim your chosen distance by the time the event comes around, you should be able to complete the challenge with no problem. Just remember to pace yourself appropriately and don't be intimidated by faster swimmers. This is not a race.
Please download your expert Open Water Swimming Advice and free In at the Deep End 2020 training plan below:
If you get a chance to train in open water, we fully encourage you to do so; but it's no big deal if you train solely in a pool.
We strongly recommend you wear a wetsuit during your training, as it is obligatory to wear one at the event. (We'll have wetsuits there for you to hire as well, but you will need to pre-order. This way we can ensure we have the correct number of each size.)
You must be at least eighteen years old to take part in In at the Deep End, unless given permission by Dream Challenges.
You must wear a wetsuit for this challenge, so please bring your own and we strongly encourage you to train in your wetsuit as well. If you don't own one, no worries. You'll be able to hire one, but you must pre-order your hired wetsuit in advance to ensure we have the correct number of each size.
We also recommend you wear goggles to protect your eyes, but this is up to you.
Please also remember to bring your Swim Pack. We'll send you this in the post around two weeks before the big day and it'll include quite a few important things that you'll need on the day, including your:
These distance break-downs might help to envision how long each would be and what to aim for in your training:
Of course! We'll have full challenge support, including a team of professional first aiders, fully trained life guards in kayaks and at the banks of the lake and swimming specialists.
We're on the look out for volunteers for In at the Deep End 2020, so if you have any friends/family members/loved ones that want to join the cause but can't commit to the challenge, please ask them to apply to be a Swim Maker.
We have a range of roles for both men and women, from helping out at registration to making noise at the start and finish line to managing the bag drop and the list goes on. Please get in touch if you'd like to apply to be a Swim Maker by emailing us at events@dream-challenges.com or calling us on 01590 646410 (from 9am-5pm Monday to Friday).
An energising breakfast, tean and coffee will be available for you to purchase when you arrive at the venue.
We'll have a hot meal for you to enjoy after your challenge, free for all participants (but not for supporters, sorry). Goodness knows you'll work up an appetite!
There'll also be a range of stalls for you and your lovely supporters to buy food and drink after your swim. (Of course, your supporters can tuck in while you're swimming as well - but yours will taste so much sweeter with the sense of achievement you get once you conquer the challenge!)
The Dorney Lake have taken measures to reduce the risk of algae growth in the lake and will, with us, be monitoring the situation up to the big day, to ensure your safety swimming in the lake.
You must wear a wetsuit for this challenge to prevent you from getting cold in the open water. Please make sure it fits well and is snug, so that it warms up any water trapped between the suit and your body. If it's lose, it won't be effective. If you plan to hire a wetsuit, you must try it on before the challenge to make sure it fits well. As long as you wear a wetsuit that fits properly, it doesn't matter whether it's a shortie, a surfing one or one with full sleeves and legs.
We strongly recommend wearing a wetsuit (preferably the same one you plan to wear for the event) during your training. This way, you'll be well used to swimming a long distance in one by the time the challenge comes around.
YES PLEASE! Tetraplegics are more than welcome to join the challenge. We'll have a separate course for you, specifically tailored to tetraplegics to ensure your safety.
If you're tetraplegic, please get in touch with Regain to arrange this. The best way is to email the charity at enquiries@regainsportscharity.com or visit their website here.
Please don't be! We expect the majority of people taking on the challenge will sign up solo. Our In at the Deep End 2020 challenge is the perfect opportunity to make friends, while getting fit and supporting sports tetraplegics in a huge way.
Once you register for the challenge, we'll send you a link to a private Facebook group, where you can chat with other challengers and swap updates/tips on your training and fundraising. It's also likely there are other challengers in your local area, so you could use this Facebook group to reach out to other people and you could even train and fundraise together.
Yes, there will be free parking at the venue for all participants. Please visit the Eton Dorney Lake website for full directions to the site.
Setting up a page with JustGiving is easy, and only takes a few minutes. Here’s how to do it: