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Fifty swimmers will take to Tunstall Bay waters in just one week

The SwimBowen cancer fundraiser is July 21
SwimBowen
Peter Scott leads a complimentary sea hiker clinic on Bowen.

 It’s not long now. In just a week, 50 swimmers will plunge into the ocean and swim 1,000 metres (or 500m as a relay) around Tunstall Bay – all for a great cause!  After four years of dreaming, our fearless race organizer, Mary Letson, has brought SwimBowen to life. After a breast cancer diagnosis and lengthy treatment in 2013, she learned how critical it is to support can­cer patients and to provide them with as much access to services as possible.  SwimBowen was created out of a wild idea to unite our love for ocean swimming with a cause very close to our hearts. The goal of the SwimBowen Society is to pro­vide financial assistance for those going through cancer treatment so they may access the self-care services required to both heal and thrive. For some, self-care means easier access to alternative therapies, such as massage, acupuncture and physiotherapy. For others, it’s nutritional support, lifestyle coaching and meals delivered to their home.

We are very proud to have developed a flex­ible fund with a thoughtful mandate. We are committed to dispersing funds that support both traditional and alternative paths to heal­ing.

Over the past few months our team of 50 swimmers has been training and fundrais­ing. Some have been swimming on their own, others have been meeting on week­nights at local beaches to train as a group. We were very lucky to have Peter Scott and Billi Behm host two open water swim clin­ics to support our swimmers in feeling comfortable in open water and learn some tricks of the trade!

We have a large cohort of local swimmers participating in SwimBowen, but we also have swimmers travelling to the island from the lower mainland, Sea to Sky and the United States! We are thrilled by the support our race has garnered from our swimmers, our community on Bowen and from people abroad. Together we have raised more than $17,000 and we’re not done yet!

Excited? Inspired? Us, too. We would love to see you out there on Saturday, July 21. The race kicks off at 3 p.m. at Tunstall Bay Beach. Come on down to cheer, enjoy a beach day and join in on the festivities. After the race, we’ll be having a celebration barbecue for swimmers and spectators at Tunstall Bay Beach.

Many thanks to our sponsors & support­ers: Harbour Air Seaplanes, Lululemon, Huntingdon Manor, Dee Elliott Personal Real Estate Corporation, Frazer Elliott and Mary Lynn Machado Macdonald Realty Ltd, Orchard Recovery Center, Bowen Island Wellness Centre, First Credit Union, Tunstall Bay Beach Club, Bowen Island Sea Kayaking, The Soup Fairy, Monica McKinley & Royal Le Page Sussex, Tourism Bowen Island, Silva Images, Bowen Island Yacht Club, Peter Robinson Photography, Team Aquatic Supplies, Doc Morgan’s Pub, Katherine Gish & Phil Kemp, Frank Gish & Joanna Mereu, Tuscany Restaurant, Alderwood Farms and Bowen Life. All of you have helped make this event possible and ever so special. Thank you.

To learn more about SwimBowen or donate to the cause visit: www.swimbowen.com.