WHEN Jay Allen turned up to speak at a networking event, he had no idea it would inspire him to complete a charity challenge.

Thanks to a chance meeting with a complete stranger, however, he was inspired to get in the pool and help raise money for a number of great causes.

Jay, who is from Warrington, was due to complete the Swimathon challenge in March, but the Covid-19 pandemic has forced it to go virtual with swimmers taking part all across the UK during October.

Swimathon is the UK’s biggest annual recreational swimming event and The Swimathon Foundation is a remarkable ‘force for good’ in communities all across the UK. Over 750,000 people have taken part since its formation in 1986 and have raised over £54 million for a number of charities.

For Jay, who is raising funds for Cancer Research UK and Marie Curie, it is a very personal journey.

“It all started a couple of weeks before Christmas for me,” Jay explained.

“I was invited to speak at a local Business Network about goals and plans for 2020, and the host of the event opened the meeting with an ice breaker - ‘What are you going to do this year for the first time?’

“A chap I’d never met said his was Swimathon.

“My presentation was all about setting goals, targets and deadlines, and by the end of the evening I’d agreed to become his ‘swimming accountability buddy’ to ensure he was ready for Swimathon.

“We’ve become great friends as a result and I’m really looking forward to not only doing this, but other ways we can now support charity together.

“Sadly, cancer impacts one in two people across the world.

“I’ve had family and friends die through cancer, as well as a cancer scare myself in my late 20’s, so as soon as he announced who this was for, I’d agreed to take part."

“Too many people ‘put things off’ because its ‘not a good time’ and eventually never get around to doing them.

“Life is for living as my nan would often say. The opportunity was presented to me, and like everything in life, it’s all about seizing the day.”

For Jay, his Swimathon journey is yet to reach its conclusion.

He plans to complete the challenge as soon as he can but explained the lengths he went to to keep himself in shape during lockdown.

“Obviously it’s been a tougher challenge than any of us could have expected on that evening back in December,” he said.

“To start with, I was religiously going to the baths at least three times weekly before work.

“During lockdown and with everything not being open, training stopped, meetings stopped, pretty much everything stopped.

“However, conscious we had made a commitment, I bought a wetsuit, found out the rules about open water swimming and took the plunge in order to keep on with the plan to complete the swim.

“Although the pools are now re-opening and have made much effort to make things as COVID safe as possible, I currently live in a COVID hotspot where further local restrictions are in place.

“Although exercise is still permitted, and I understand the needs of the charity are great, I’ve not yet committed to doing anything other than essential activities outside the home.

“So for now, this is still on the to do list – but I’m aiming to complete this as soon as I can!”

Entries are still open for Swimathon 2020 – CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFORMATION