A CROWTHORNE man raised more than £100 for charity last week by going for a swim, despite being in lockdown.
Darren Latimer used Facebook Livestream to broadcast his chilly 100 metre swim for Macmillan Cancer Support from his own back garden.
His father benefitted from the charity’s help before passing away a few months ago, after battling with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Mr Latimer said: “Sadly my Dad’s deterioration was very quick, but even to the very end he was eternally grateful to Lucy from Macmillan and his doctor.
“The opportunity to just be able to try to raise say £20 or so, and show appreciation in these unprecedented times was all I was hoping to achieve.”
He decided to do a cold water swim on Wednesday, March 25 after his group of friends formed a fitness club.
“As it went on some of us developed mental health complications, and we found out that cold water swimming can be a powerful treatment, when done in a safe environment,” he explained.
He wanted to combine this mental health boost with the opportunity to show gratitude to Macmillan.
Preparing for the swim, Mr Latimer said: “I did some slow yoga to mentally ready myself — my mind had to be focused — but the blue sky and sunshine helped.”
Then he dived into the pool he had built and swam for around five minutes.
He said: “It was an interesting sensation, a mix of pleasure and pain, and when I climbed out of the pool I was speechless.
“The sheer support was quite overwhelming, because this is such a difficult time for everyone, I didn’t expect people to be able to donate much.”
Mr Latimer raised £103, and hopes to continue doing more fundraising whilst at home — if the support is there.
