Heather and Thomas do their bit for Sports Relief in the pool

Thomas initially raised £75 and ended up making it £110 after onlookers donated more to the great cause after seeing the efforts he had put in to the challenge.

The money raised for Sports Relief makes an incredible difference, with 50% funding projects in the world’s poorest communities, and the other 50% used to transform lives right here in the UK.

This was Thomas’s first Swimathon and according to his Auntie he ‘shows great promise for the future and is a very talented swimmer’.

With only four months left until Heather’s own big challenge where she plans to swim 13 miles across the Atlantic Sea from Moville in Donegal to Portstewart, she said the event was the perfect starter event for her.

“Swimathon events are the perfect place to get started in longer distance and endurance swimming,” Heather told Times Sport.

To find out more about Heather’s event log on to the website www.swimforportstewart.com.