Royal Life Saving Society UK to host open water festival

The Royal Life Saving Society UK (RLSS UK) has launched its first open water festival, set to take place at Ragley Hall, Warwickshire, on Saturday 26 September.  

The Ragley Crawl will see hundreds of swimmers swapping the indoor pool for the open water at Ragley Hall’s lake for a day of fun competition. Swimmers will be able to tackle one-mile or half-mile courses, or take part in a team relay. The day will also feature the Rookie Raid, a 200m swim and 400m run aimed at eight to 12-year-olds. 

Oceans Seven swimmer Adam Walker, Olympian and fitness expert Greg Whyte and Olympic swimmer Mark Foster are also set to take part.
“Open water swimming is exhilarating, liberating and it is growing fast,” says Mark Foster. “I encourage everyone to take it up as a sport in a controlled, lifeguarded area. I am really looking forward to attending and support RLSS UK.”
The day will also feature fun family activities, stalls and refreshments all in the aid of drowning prevention. Swimmers can also raise money for RLSS UK and all proceeds of the event will go towards drowning prevention work.
“Open water swimming is the UK’s fastest growing sport and, as the leaders in water safety and lifesaving education we wanted to launch our very own open water swim,” says Adrian Lole, RLSS UK director. “Around 400 people each year lose their life to drowning and we want to ensure everyone of all ages can enjoy water safely. This is why we want to offer a fun open water swimming event that everyone can enjoy in a safe, controlled environment.”
For more information or to register to take part, visit www.rlss.org.uk