JORDYN Muir’s love for babies has prompted her to swim the aQuellé Midmar Mile to raise funds for the Baby Hope House.

The house in Pinetown is a home for vulnerable, abandoned babies (from newborns to toddlers).

Joined by her father, Bradley, the Westville resident is appealing to people to support them in raising much-needed funds for the home.

“This is my second time swimming the Midmar Mile – the first one was four years ago. This year, I decided to swim it again while raising funds for Baby Hope House which is very close to my heart,” she said.

Also read: Kloof gran to swim her 37th Midmar Mile

Through BackaBuddy, Jordyn has raised more than R25 000.

She said she has been volunteering at the home since 2021. “I started when I took a gap year. I just loved it – those babies and that place is so precious. I also developed a special bond with the home’s co-founder, Sonia Swinton.

“The impact the home has on the babies is amazing, and by raising money, it will assist them to continue to change other babies’ lives. Every bit counts and makes a difference,” she said.

Her father said this is a good initiative, and he was more than happy to come on board. “I enjoy training with my daughter – it gives us more time together,” he added.

With a background as a soccer player, Bradley is fairly new to swimming but said he enjoys it. “We try to train every day as we started only four weeks ago, so we have to keep up,” he said with a smile.

In its 51st year, the race is scheduled to take place from Thursday, February 8 to Sunday, February 11. The 8 and 16-mile Charity Challenge swims, which raise millions for several official charities every year, take place on the first two days of the event, and the other mass participation events, including the disabled and elite races, are set for the Saturday and Sunday.

Also read: Oldest competitor bids fond farewell to Midmar Mile

“We are looking forward to welcoming back thousands of swimmers from around the country – and world – to Midmar Dam this February,” said race director Wayne Riddin.

“What makes this event so special is that it’s not only about the elite, international-level swimmers. This is an event for everyone – we have swimmers aged from eight to 80-plus and also swimmers of various abilities, all rubbing shoulders with the best of the best, and they all have the same goal: to get from the start to the finish as best as they can.”

Baby Hope House’s Landi Viljoen thanked the duo for this wonderful initiative. “A big thank you to everyone who assists Baby Hope House with donations and monetary donations and to the amazing volunteers who come and love our babies,” she said.

For more from the Highway Mail, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram. You can also check out our videos on our YouTube channel or follow us on TikTok.