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The Kagando Care Swim Challenge

My name is Nello Spiteri. I turned sixty and grumpy in 2012 and had a post-mid-life crisis: unfit, overweight and a busy consultancy business. A hip operation in 2006 further contributed to my deteriorating physical condition. So...I decided to do something about it by getting back to some serious swimming. After several false starts, I'm managing to train regularly with the DAW Masters in Alkmaar. The main challenge I've given myself is to swim 100m freestyle as fast as possible - used to swim 58'7" in my Uni days (many, many moons ago); so I'm under no illusions that I'll be swimming those times. Still friends kept telling me that that was a great goal - and I kept telling myself that's a challenge - not a goal in itself.

But then having a goal would help shed those extra kilos. Enter, Rita, a nurse practitioner - and my sis. Most of the time she's to be found in a little village called Kagando at the base of the Rwenzori mountains in western Uganda, helping the people there and in the surrounding villages (https://www.facebook.com/ypnaid?fref=ts). And then I had one of those "Eureka" moments - my goal would be to raise as much funds as possible for Rita's work over in Kagando, by begging, extorting or blackmailing friends to sponsor the times I swim for 100m. It'll be an open challenge, i.e. no end date; but times achieved would be posted every six months [Got you interested? For times and amounts, read further]

So now it's for REAL. I just hope that I'll be able to keep the training going and relieve most of you of your hard-earned cash. But, hey, as they say - it's for a great cause! So start giving. I'll be posting regular updates on this page and will also have a page on FB. Share this with your friends and thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Why am I asking you for help?

I am asking for your support in the Kagando Care Swim Challenge because it's difficult to make a change by yourself. One person can try, but many people together can bring about change. It doesn't take much you know. A few euro's here and there can mean the world of difference to the people in the Kagando district who struggle for health care, education and basic living needs such as clean water.

My next target is to swim PBs at a number of events at the Dutch Masters Championships in May 2015.

If you think I can do it please pledge an amount for sponsorship. Any amount will do. If you think I can't do it, why don't you raise the stakes and provide a bonus for me to reach. The money you pledge might make me dig that little bit deeper and go that extra little bit faster. Our next swim-off will be May 8-10 at the Dutch Open Masters Long Course championships in Eindhoven. We'll show you how we've done. We plan to train hard and hope to achieve some PBs (Personal Best times)

Who's with me, in bringing about change and helping the people in Kagando?

Official times will be posted on the "Updates" section of my JustGiving page and on the Kagando Care Swim Challenge on FaceBook. I will also post "unofficial" times achieved during training.

Of course you can always donate any amount in between the official swim events! Your support can help change lives!

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