Hector going for challenge record
Olympian Hector Pardoe is bidding to shatter a record when he swims the length of Windermere.
Pardoe, who is from Wrexham but has swam for both Whitchurch Wasps and Ellesmere College Titans, will aim to complete the 10.5-mile swim in less than three hours 35 minutes on Saturday. And fresh off the back of a 10th-place finish in the 10km open water swim at the World Championships in Japan, the 22-year-old cannot wait to tackle this latest challenge.
“I have been wanting to swim the iconic Windermere for a while now and the perfect time has come this year,” he said. “I was disappointed poor weather conditions changed previous plans, but I’m fully focused and determined to go for the record. This is not just a personal goal, but also an opportunity to inspire others to push their limits.
“Having been a vegetarian all my life, I’m passionate about preserving the environment in which we live, breathe and swim, and there’s no better place to promote this message than Windermere.”
To complete the feat at the Chillswim Windermere end-to-end event, Pardoe will need to swim the equivalent of 680 regular 25-metre swimming pools, taking in four of those lengths every one minute 11 seconds.
He will also be raising funds for the Lake District Foundation, who fund projects to sustain its spectacular landscape, wildlife and cultural heritage.
