By Cat Pritchard
It’s a good year for the Halfway Toyota Midmar Mile – not only is it boasting a newfound status as the world's biggest open water swimming event but some of the world’s top swimmers are lining up to raise money for charity.
Yes, it’s all happening in the KZN Natal Midlands over this year’s Valentines Day weekend. Last year the race was officially recognised by the Guinness World Records as having the most participants in an open water swimming event, which means this year the numbers and names will be diving in.
And the conditions aren’t looking too bad either – the dam is 100 percent full and the weather is promising to play along. Perhaps they may even beat their own record. Last year 13 755 people finished out of 15 900 starters so, with more people registered at the starting line, that mark could be improved on.
Defending champion Riaan Schoeman will lead the South African challenge, along with Chad Ho and Heerden Herman.
But more exciting than all the stars and studs, are the swimmers that will be racing for a reason.
Take Terence Parkin, gifted superstar of the Deaflympics. He will be swimming 16 miles to raise funds for the deaf school at which his wife teaches.
Parkin, who won a silver medal in the 200 metres breaststroke at the 2000 Olympic Games in Sydney, will swim each of the eight races from finish to start and then join each event for the return leg. And as if this wasn’t enough, he aims to swim each mile in less than 25 minutes.
Another big name on the charitable list is Tadgh Slattery, a multiple gold medal winner at the Paralympics. He is part of the famous 8-mile Club, which will be raising funds for charity again this year. The club raised over R1-million in 2009.
Mike Arbuthnot, one of the event founders back in 1973, and the only man to officially swim each and every Midmar Mile, will be swimming in four events, taking his tally of Midmar Miles to 70.
Want to pledge your support for these swimmers? Go to www.midmarmile.co.za