5,000 Lengths! 

Pupils dived into a charity challenge at Highworth Recreation Centre to raise money for Sport Relief

 

David Walliams famously swam from Lechlade to London in 2011 for Sport Relief - and now pupils from Southfields school in Highworth have almost done the equivalent.

 

A total of 220 children from Southfield Junior School took to the pool and swam 4,996 lengths – just over 78 miles.

 

The mammoth effort was the equivalent of travelling from Highworth all the way to Kew Gardens in London.

 

 

The pupils’ aim was to complete the distance of a marathon, but they ultimately swam three times their target.

 

The whole school took part, including some teaching and support staff. Children of all abilities, including those with physical disabilities, embraced the challenge from non-swimmers using swimming aids to competitive club swimmers.