City of Derby Swimming Club :: City of Derby SC - Derbyshire's Top Competitive Swimming Club. Derby, East Midlands, UK

HEAD coach Melanie Marshall has paid tribute to the team at City of Derby SC after the club’s sponsored swim for the Zambia Project was a huge success. Double Olympic champion Rebecca Adlington and her fellow Olympians Ross Davenport and Jess Sylvester called in at the Lonsdale event to meet the swimmers, sign autographs and pose for photographs.

More than 100 swimmers took part in the event on Sunday, July 5, raising thousands of pounds to help some of the 1.1 million people in Zambia who are living with Aids. The appearance of their Olympic heroes rounded off a truly memorable morning for the club’s young members.

The swim took place at two sites - Lonsdale Pool in Mickleover in the morning and Queen’s Leisure Centre in the evening. Mel Marshall said: “A huge thank-you to everyone for their support. It was an outstanding show from Team Derby in the pool and Team Derby out of the pool.

“We need to say a big thank-you to Rebecca, Ross and Jess for helping us start to make a difference for Zambia and for the club. And we must say thanks to Lonsdale Pool for hosting the event as well. They really pulled out all the stops for us.”

Around 100 of the club’s younger members swam in the morning, some starting as early as 6.30am and swimming for more than four hours. Some of them swam an incredible 11,000 kilometres, or 440 lengths of the pool, others 7,000 metres (an impressive 280 lengths) and the youngest ones swam long distances as part of a relay.

A dedicated band of volunteers, many of whom had also helped out the day before at the club’s open meet, transformed the neighbouring scout hut car park, just after dawn. And once the swimmers had finished their stint in the pool they were able to enjoy a barbecue, tombola, lucky dip and sweet stall.

In the evening, 20 of the club’s Seniors and Masters swimmers joined the effort with their swim at Queen’s. The money raised will be split between the Zambia Project, run by the charity Sport in Action, and City of Derby SC. Talking about using the funds for Zambia, Mel said: “We think we are going to teach Zambia to swim.

“We are hoping to renovate a pool in a central district and then buy a couple of buses and organise day trips for kids from rural areas. We would give them one hour’s swimming and one hour’s education on things like HIV and Aids. We reckon we could reach youngsters in about 25 outlying districts from one central pool.”

The sponsored swim is just the beginning of the club’s efforts to make a difference in Zambia. on Saturday, October 31 City of Derby SC will be hosting a charity black tie ball at Pride Park. Rebecca Adlington, Ross Davenport and Jess Sylvester have once again generously agreed to give up their time to support this event, which will feature a slap-up meal, sports auction and many other special guests.

Tables are going fast for this event and Mel is calling on all club members to join the effort to make this a spectacular night to remember. once again, funds raised will be split between the Zambia Project and the club.

If you want to get involved, speak to Mel, call her on 0773 694 4599 or speak to any member of the club committee around poolside.

Go Derby!

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