A cause worth raising R36 000 for
The local swimmer set his sights on the aQuelle Midmar Mile and there he raised funds for childhood cancer awareness.
It was a cause-driven swim for local Samuel Smith when he took part in the 51st edition of the aQuelle Midmar Mile and raised R36 000 for childhood cancer awareness.
This was his seventh year participating, and his recent swim brought it up to this being his 30th mile in the Midmar Dam. Though the miles covered show his tenacity – it is the cause behind every stroke to the finish that speaks of the heart behind it.
His journey to the annual event is spurred on by his passion for childhood cancer. After he lost his cousin to leukemia years ago, he has been raising awareness and funds for a non-profit organisation, Happy Bundles, whose mission is to bring a smile to children with cancer.
Smith, who only swam his first 8-mile last year, pushed himself this year by swimming a 16-mile. To train for this swim he would do a mix of long-distance swims on his own at the gym, and form training as well as stroke correction with his coach. Some of the challenges he faced were a shoulder injury he incurred during preparations, and on day two of the race, there was some serious sunburn. These conditions coupled with the current were not amazing for him.
“I was always scared that I was not going to finish in time. We were given a maximum of 13 hours (6.5 hours on both days) and after day one, with my sore shoulders and fatigue, I was very worried. I did not know that I was going to finish the race until mile number 15 of 16. When I crossed the line, I was told that my time was 11:09:27.” Adding that he instilled in his mind the idea that failure was not going to happen, and it did not.
On both race days, by the point he swam his last mile, he was one of the only swimmers left, due to what he sees as being one of the slowest swimmers. “By that point, there were so few swimmers in the dam that each one had a personal lifesaver on a jet ski. Apart from that, I could see no one, and could not hear anyone else. It is quite interesting, being the only person in such a vast expanse of water. As I crossed the line, I was very relieved to have finished – tired, but elated.”
When asked how he hopes his actions will inspire his peers he shared that all that he is trying to do with these charity events is to make the world a slightly better place. He wants to help a few people and save a few lives, and he hopes that others are inspired to do so too, in their way.
Smith’s next big swim is going to be in the Atlantic Ocean as he sets his sights on the Western Cape.
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