On November 8th, five relay teams representing a cross-section of Hong Kong’s diverse community successfully completed a 45 km circumnavigation swim around Hong Kong Island for the Make Waves for Hong Kong charity event.
Equally as impressive, the teams also collectively raised HK$3.3 million (or nearly US$425,000) for the Splash Foundation, a charity dedicated to improving access to swimming for disadvantaged children and adults. Their programs are free-of-cost to learners across the city and see a 90% success rate at the end of 20 hours of instruction.
Each of the six swimmers on the team swam 30-minute legs in order. The lead swimmers started in the dark at 2:00 am from Sandy Bay near Cyberport. Despite Typhoon Yinxing edging closer to the city, the second annual swim event proceeded smoothly as the teams often traded positions in the lead throughout morning. Swimmers navigated Victoria Harbour and reached Chai Wan at sunrise. The stretch from Big Wave Bay to Cape D’Aguilar was picturesque, but extremely choppy. Swimmers eventually passed through the Lamma Channel to Sandy Bay to complete the 45 km course.
An international team from Singapore had the fastest time of the day at 10 hours 53 minutes.
As a testament to the success of the program, one of the first beneficiaries of Splash Foundation, 54-year-old Josephine Tolentino [shown below], swam the final leg and crossed the finish line. Originally from Ilocos Norte, Philippines, Tolentino was the first person in her family to learn to swim when she attended Splash Foundation’s program. “Swimming became the best solution I had to the stress and homesickness that comes with being a migrant worker. I took the first step to learn to swim and found there was so much I could achieve. I want everyone to have the opportunity I had.”
Geoff Cheah, an alumnus of Stanford University working on start-up initiatives at Wheelock and Company, represented Hong Kong in the Rio Olympics. “It shocks me that 47% of Hong Kong secondary school students don’t know how to swim and may never have had the opportunity. Swimming has opened so many doors for me personally. All my best friends are those who I grew up competing and training with. I’m doing this challenge so we can improve swimming lessons for kids and adults in Hong Kong.” Cheah swam with Arnaud Redon, Case Everaert, Eugene Chu, Hannah Wilson, and Josephine Tolentino.
Hannah Wilson, a Physical and Health Education Teacher at King George V, is a three-time Olympian for Hong Kong. “Splash Foundation creates so much opportunity and changes so many lives by providing people with the opportunity to learn to swim. Swimming is a life skill. It’s not about being a fast swimmer, it’s about being able to be confident and safe in the water. I’m all in to
help promote access to Splash’s programmes so that more people can enjoy our beautiful beaches and all the benefits that being in the water has.”
Simon Holliday, Co-Founder of Splash Foundation, who was also the first man to swim around Hong Kong, said: “We are grateful to the swimmers, sailors, kayakers, and volunteers who made this incredible event possible. On Friday the ocean-loving community came together to give thousands more kids and adults the opportunity to learn to swim and feel a connection to the water.”
The donations raised from Make Waves for Hong Kong fund Splash Foundation’s free learn-to-swim program. This initiative aims to eliminate financial and cultural barriers, improve access to this essential life skill and enhance the city’s swim literacy. Since its establishment in 2015, Splash Foundation has successfully taught over 8,000 individuals to swim, achieving an 88% success rate after only 20 hours of instruction.
Make Waves has become an annual international event that aims to change the tide on swimming literacy in Hong Kong. With over HK$3.3 million raised from over 1,000 donors (and counting), the relay was generously supported by Lead Sponsors Henderson Land Group, Shanghai Commercial Bank, Toys“R”Us, Kiri Capital and Simpson Marine.
50-year-old Jada Lam wanted a new challenge to mark the milestone, “Swimming is an incredible exercise that teaches you that nothing is impossible. When I started swimming again in my 40’s, I couldn’t even manage two laps of the pool. But I’ve found this incredible sense of fulfilment and camaraderie with other swimmers as I’ve progressed. There will definitely be some friendly competition between the teams, but the main motivation for all of us is to help break down the barriers of learning to swim.”She swam with Antonia Li, Gregory Van, Harry Krkalo, Marko Stojanović, and Shauna Krkalo.
Make Waves for Hong Kong Teams
● Team Green with Alison Tam, Antony Crockett, Jo Hull, Lucas Vitale, Monica Browning, and Shiau Sin Yen.
● Team Purple with Grace Pang, Andrew O’Regan, Carmelo Ficarra, Ella Karsemeijer, Paul Mak, and Spencer Fung.
● Team Red with Jo Lynn Teh, Johan Dulat, Justin Tan, Melanie Speet, Regine Goh, and Wouter Duyck.
For more information, visit www.splashfoundation.org/makewaves.
© 2024 Daily News of Open Water Swimming
“to educate, enthuse, and entertain all those who venture beyond the shoreline“
A World Open Water Swimming Federation project.