Julia’s Dip-a-Day Challenge
Julia, Creative Director and CEO of PK Porthcurno has just completed the Surfers Against Sewage Dip a Day fundraiser. The challenge was to swim in the cold sea every day of October to raise money for SAS’s ocean saving work. Here she shares her experience…
Through the blustery month of October, I undertook the Dip a Day fundraiser to support the amazing charity, Surfers Against Sewage. When I signed up for the challenge in a relatively mild September it seemed like a good idea, even for someone like me who only occasionally ventures into the sea and usually only at the height of summer.
The first two weeks of the challenge were relatively easy. I could wander down to the beach at Porthcurno before or after work at the museum and splash about for 20mins before strolling back for a hot beverage. By mid-October, I was definitely finding it more difficult, but having sponsors supporting me kept me motivated. My dips in the sea at Porthcurno got less and less frequent as the wind and waves were too tricky for an inexperienced swimmer like me. It was then that I rediscovered the Jubilee Pool lido in Penzance, and that was a game-changer.
I admit that I hadn’t used the Jubilee Pool since I was a child and I remembered it being cold and murky and not very inviting. There were rumours of a giant eel living in the deep end which kept kids like me cowering in the shallows. Even though I knew that the pool had gone into community ownership in recent years and had a major refurbishment, I still hadn’t bothered visiting it yet. The necessity of getting into cold water safely was enough of a motivation though, and for the last two weeks of October, I became a regular visitor at the now wonderful lido swimming in rain, wind and even with dogs on the last day of the season!
Overall my Dip a Day challenge was a really positive experience and I’m glad I took part. I managed to raise £326 towards Surfers Against Sewage campaigns and I’ll definitely keep up the cold water swimming – though maybe not every day!