Nine-Year-Old Swims Daily Mile, Raises Over £600 for Children in Need

Hannah, a nine-year-old from Kings Heath in Birmingham, has accumulated over £600 for the BBC’s Children in Need by completing a four-mile swimming challenge, swimming one mile each day. She described the endeavor as “a good thing to help other children”. To achieve each mile this week, she swam 64 lengths of 25 meters. Hannah also mentioned that she considers swimming her primary hobby currently. When questioned about the reactions of her friends and family, Hannah responded: “I think they’ve said it’s pretty like outrageous and amazing that I’m doing it.” She further stated: “I’m just trying to stay cool with it and now that I’ve done it, I’m like, yeah, I agree with them, it is like… amazing.” The young fundraiser expressed her enjoyment of swimming, though she conceded that her legs were aching “all through” her lengths during the Children in Need challenge. Regarding the origin of the idea, Hannah explained: “[I was] just wondering what to do, ‘cos I wanted to do something and then it just came into my head.” She subsequently added: “I want to do it ‘cos I feel like it’s a good thing to do and I mean it helps me stay fit and it’s a good thing to help other children.” Hannah’s family conveyed their “extremely proud” feelings, noting her “so mature about it” demeanor. They elaborated: “She hasn’t moaned one bit. Yeah, she’s said her legs are aching now, but at the time she just got on with it.” Separately, staff members at BBC Radio WM and various other BBC local radio stations throughout the UK have collectively generated over £100,000 for Children in Need via a similar swimming initiative. Last week, the five individuals comprising the WM team completed a combined total of 24 miles in 24 hours. For updates, follow BBC Birmingham on BBC Sounds, Facebook, X, and Instagram. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC disclaims responsibility for the content of external sites. Information regarding their approach to external linking is available.