Courtesy of the John West Great North Swim, United Kingdom.
The organizers of the Great Swim have always known that open water swimming is a sport that always challenges expectations.
They wrote, “More than ten years and tens of thousands of swimmers later, the one constant has been the incredible diversity we’ve seen reflected in our participants. They’ve shown us that no matter what your body shape, your level of fitness, whether or not you live with a disability, or your age, you can reach your goal in the open water.This year we want to celebrate this incredible diversity and challenge the wider world’s preconceptions of who an athlete is.”
The 2019 ‘Unexpectedly Great’ campaign tells inspirational stories that inspire people to think about what they could achieve through a Great Swim event. Gill Haddington is one such inspiration.
Haddington was left unable to walk for two years after dropping a small and empty perfume bottle on the top of her foot, which developed into Chronic Regional Pain Syndrome. After dealing with the debilitating condition for two years, she had her leg amputated and is competing in the John West Great North Swim for the first time since becoming an amputee.
For more information on the John West Great North Swim, visit here.
Copyright @ 2019 by Great Swim.