Hundreds of women will take to the sea at Sandbanks on Saturday 14th March as part of a large-scale cold-water swim marking International Women’s Day.
The Poole dip forms one half of The Big Swim, an event that will see 1,000 swimmers enter the water on the same day, split between Sandbanks and Brighton. The Poole swim, scheduled for 9.30am, will bring around 500 participants to the shoreline.
Organisers say the event sold out within three weeks, reflecting the growing popularity of cold-water swimming and the appetite for collective outdoor challenges.
The swim has been organised by adventurer Nicky Chisholm, known as ‘Pink Nicky’, working alongside Dorset outdoor company Land & Wave, led by Rosie Tanner: ‘Land & Wave has long been campaigning to get more women working and playing in the outdoors, so we’re delighted to be welcoming a huge Dorset contingent to The Big Swim,’ said Rosie.
While the swim celebrates women and community, it also carries an environmental message. The event is raising funds for Surfers Against Sewage, the national campaign group pushing for improvements to water quality.
The Poole event will also include RNLI crews and welcomes participants of all abilities, including the first adaptive and wheelchair swimmers taking part in the challenge.
Swimmers are encouraged to arrive in ‘warm and sparkly’ outfits, adding a splash of colour to what is expected to be a lively morning on the Sandbanks shore. The Brighton swim takes place later the same day at Sea Lanes, bringing the total number of swimmers across both locations to 1,000.
