BBC Radio WM Team Embarks on 24-Hour Swim for Children in Need

A five-member team from BBC Radio WM has commenced a 24-hour swimming challenge to benefit Children in Need. The team aims to collectively swim 24 miles within this period, having begun the endeavor at 09:00 GMT at the Sandwell Aquatics Centre, a venue utilized during the 2022 Commonwealth Games. This initiative is part of the wider ‘Thousand Mile Challenge,’ which involves all BBC local radio stations nationwide each attempting to complete a 24-mile swim, contributing to a cumulative total of 1,000 miles. The participants from BBC Radio WM include presenters Trish Adudu, Kath Stanczyszyn, and Sarah Julian, alongside BBC Midlands Today sports presenter Dan Pallett and radio producer Matt Mitchell. After completing 66 lengths, equivalent to one mile, at the Smethwick location, Mr. Mitchell commented that he felt “all right”. He further stated, “I’ve always trained mile by mile. [I’m] gonna do a 15-minute break, quick sugar cube… and then straight back into the water.” The producer characterized the experience, saying it felt like “we’re on a camping excursion to be fair”. He elaborated, “There’s loads in the cereal bars, there’s fruit… there’s plenty of water… We’ve got it all. To be fair we’ve started so well.” Radio listeners selected ‘Jump’ by Girls Aloud as the song to signify the commencement of their challenge. Attendees offering support included pupils from Devonshire academy, the BBC Children in Need mascot Pudsey Bear, and the Commonwealth Games mascot Perry the Bull. Also present poolside were Sam Rabone and Gill Jordan, known as Doreen Tipton, from the Lichfield Garrick pantomime Jack & The Beanstalk. Katharine Merry, a BBC Radio WM sports reporter who competed for Team GB in two Olympic Games and secured a bronze medal in the 400m at Sydney in 2000, remarked that “it’s psychological isn’t it, with sport, as much as it is physical?”. When asked for advice on maintaining endurance in the pool, the former runner suggested: “Try and count down in numbers, in terms of lengths that you are doing, take the breaks when needed, break it into little chunks.” Updates from BBC Birmingham can be followed on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X, and Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content found on external websites. Information regarding the BBC’s policy on external linking is available.