It was the final race, Low Wood Bay WaterBeasts team versus the English Lakes Support Office team. After three of the six swimmers in the relay had gone it was virtually neck and neck and I gently entered the water ready to do my part in the final length and hopefully bring home the Eldoret Shield for the Support Office.
When growing up I used to be very jealous of all the staff, my dad(now Managing Director), uncle(Estates Director) and Douglas Dale(Operations Director) taking part in the English Lakes swimming gala. I used to spend a lot of my time at the Low Wood Club pool as we lived in the manager’s bungalow on site. But I was never allowed to race. I was a toddler mind…
Almost immediately after starting my existing role at the Support Office I decided to restart the tradition of a company swimming gala as it had faded away during the mid nineties.
This was the third annual event and featured teams from across the group, having fun and raising money for the six orphans we support in the Open Arms Village near Eldoret, Kenya.
The teams struggled with butterfly, excelled at doggy paddle and laughed in the fancy dress race. But as the points would have it Low Wood Bay Waterbeasts and Support Office were slugging it out in a six length whole team relay final and despite Low Wood calling back staff from University in Glasgow just for the night the Support Office team triumphed.
- Written by: +Ben Berry, English Lakes Executive