ELITE SWIMMERS AND BUSINESS LEADERS MAKING WAVES TO ADDRESS CITY’S CHRONIC SWIM ILLITERACY

HONG KONG, Oct. 15, 2024 /PRNewswire/ — On Friday, November 8th, five relay teams representing a cross-section of Hong Kong’s diverse community will undertake a unique challenge – to swim the 45 kilometres around Hong Kong Island. The teams include Olympians Geoff Cheah and Hannah Wilson, fourth–generation Hong Kong jeweller, Jada Lam, and migrant domestic worker, Josephine Tolentino.

Geoff Cheah, an alumnus of Stanford University working on start-up initiatives at Wheelock and Company, represented Hong Kong in the Rio Olympics. “It shocks me that 47% of Hong Kong secondary school students don’t know how to swim and may never have had the opportunity. Swimming has opened so many doors for me personally. All my best friends are those who I grew up competing and training with. I’m doing this challenge so we can improve swimming lessons for kids and adults in Hong Kong.”

Despite having the longest coastline of any city and an abundance of swimming pools, around half of Hong Kongers, mostly women and children from low-income communities, are unable to swim. The beneficiary of the event, Splash Foundation is a charity dedicated to improving access to swimming for disadvantaged children and adults. Their programmes are free-of-cost to learners across the city and see a 90% success rate at the end of 20 hours of instruction. in the city.

Josephine Tolentino is one of Splash’s first graduates. Since learning to swim in 2016, she has competed in many local open water swim races and made several podiums. “Swimming became the best solution I had to the stress and homesickness that comes with being a migrant worker,” she said. “I took the first step to learn to swim and found there was so much I could achieve. I want everyone to have the opportunity I had.”

Jada Lam, who turned 50 this year, wanted a new challenge to mark the milestone: “Swimming is an incredible exercise that teaches you that nothing is impossible. When I started swimming again in my 40s, I couldn’t even manage two laps of the pool! But I’ve found this incredible sense of fulfilment and camaraderie with other swimmers as I’ve progressed. There will definitely be some friendly competition between the teams, but the main motivation for all of us is to help break down the barriers of learning to swim.”

Supporting the event is Simpson Marine, Asia’s leading new yacht sales, brokerage and service company. “We have been supporting Splash for the past eight years, providing safety and support vessels, and around-the-clock strategic, logistical and safety assistance for these epic fundraiser swims”, says Ewa Stachurska, Vice President, Marketing, Partnerships and Business Development.  “As ocean lovers, we’re committed to water safety and to give more people the opportunity to enjoy the water.”

Simpson Marine joins this year by Lead Sponsors Henderson Land Group, Shanghai Commercial Bank and Kiri Capital who through generous contributions are helping Splash Foundation turn the tide on swimming literacy in the city.

The Event
Make Waves for Hong Kong is a 45 km multi-relay swim around Hong Kong Island taking place on Friday 8 November, with 5 teams, composed of 30 elite swimmers and business leaders.

• The annual event builds awareness around the city’s historically low swim literacy rates, where nearly half the population is unable to swim.
• The teams aim to raise HK$3.5million for Splash Foundation to help thousands of disadvantaged children and adults experience the transformative impact of learning to swim.
• The swim will start in the early hours of Friday morning and is expected to take around 12 hours to complete.
• Relayers will take turns swimming in 30 minute intervals, braving the elements and changing sea conditions.
• See event page: www.splashfoundation.org/makewaves.

Henderson Land Group, Shanghai Commercial Bank, Kiri Capital and Simpson Marine are Lead Sponsors supporting the event.

About Splash Foundation:

Splash Foundation creates opportunities for kids and adults from disadvantaged communities to experience the transformative impact of learning to swim and enjoy lifelong access to the water. Through teacher training, programme delivery and public advocacy, Splash improves access to the water and enables thousands of people to learn a life skill that keeps them safe and improves their physical, mental and social wellbeing. Beneficiaries include migrant domestic workers and other ethnic minority groups, kids and parents from low income communities, and kids with special educational needs. By 2030, Splash Foundation aims to teach 25,000 people how to swim.

Key facts

• Despite having the longest coastline of any city and an abundance of swimming pools, 47% of Hong Kong secondary school students cannot swim (source).
• More than half of people worldwide cannot swim, and women account for most of them: 2 out of 3 women cannot swim (source).
• After Splash programmes, 95% of participants shared that they are comfortable going to public pools to swim or to practise their swimming. (source: Splash Foundation)
• Swimming is a low impact, low cost exercise that can be enjoyed at any age by everyone (source).
• Swimming is medicine and has been linked to lowering stress, anxiety and depression (source).
• 86% of migrant domestic worker participants reported feeling “less lonely” after Splash programmes. (source: Splash Foundation)
• Parents who can swim are more likely to ensure their children know how to swim (source).
• 76% of parent learners feel more connected with their children after starting their own Splash Foundation lessons. (source: Splash Foundation)

Route
The teams will start and finish in Sandy Bay (outside Kennedy Town) and will swim clockwise around Hong Kong island.

2024 Make Waves Swimmers (See full team list: webpage)

Make Waves for Hong Kong 2023 (Google Drive: Photos)