Olympian inspires boys’ 2012 challenge

Joanne Jackson visited the school in Myton Road on Wednesday to launch the event, in which two teams of boys will each swim 2,012 km during a period of ten weeks to raise funds for the Heart Rhythm Charity, which raises awareness for heart rhythm disorders such as sudden cardiac arrest.

A team of eighteen 13 to 17-year-olds, who are training towards swimming the English Channel later this year, and another team of 68 boys aged seven to 17, began their challenge this week.

Ms Jackson, an Olympic bronze medallist, spoke to pupils about her swimming experiences and her motivation for this year’s Games. Having won bronze in the 400m freestyle event the Beijing Olympics in 2008, she went on to gain silver medals in the 2009 World Championships in Rome.

Swimmers in Warwick School’s under 14 team recently brought home silver medals in both the medley and freestyle relay sections of the national schools swimming championships and in July 2009, two teams of pupils from the school swam across the English Channel in relay.

The Heart Rhythm Charity, also known as Arrhythmia Alliance, was set up in 2004. Working with patient groups, patients, medical groups and allied professionals, it aims to raise awareness, improve diagnosis and treatment of heart rhythm disorders and improve the quality of life of patients.