Stejskal’s Channel Swim Will Raise Money for Drowning Prevention Charity
CETRA’s CEO, Jiri Stejskal is planning to make a splash for charity by taking part in a cross-Channel swim. He will be among a team of six who will set off from Dover, UK, taking it in turns to swim an hour at a time until they make shore in France. The swim is scheduled to take place on June 29, 2024 but the exact timing is dependent on tides and the weather.
The team is taking part in an English Channel Relay swim to raise funds for SwimTayka – a UK-based charity which runs swimming programs in low resource countries, in locations alongside water, where learning to swim isn’t part of the culture so risk of drowning is high.
Stejskal, a four-time Ironman finisher, is already in training, swimming in his local pool and taking part in SwimTayka training weekends at Dover, to prepare for the crossing.
As well as the swim itself, Stejskal needs to be prepared to cope with jellyfish, debris in the water, currents and seasickness.
“Taking on this physical and mental challenge while supporting a cause close to my heart has long been on my wish list. Thanks to SwimTayka this dream is getting closer to reality”, said Stejskal.
Bryan Avery, founder of SwimTayka, said Stejskal and the team would join an elite group of Channel swimmers, raising much-needed funds at the same time.
“More people have climbed Everest than have swum the Channel, and we’re very grateful to Jiri and the team for volunteering to take part in this challenge,” said Bryan.
“We run programs teaching local children to swim in places as far-flung as Bali, Peru and Brazil – all coastal locations where learning to swim simply isn’t part of the curriculum, leaving children at high risk of drowning. Every year, 360,000 people drown worldwide, and at SwimTayka, our mission is to drive down this alarming statistic.”
Stejskal is aiming to raise $2,500 for SwimTayka and has a fundraising page at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Jiri-Stejskal.
For more information about SwimTayka’s work, opportunities to volunteer on the swim teaching programs, and to find out more about English Channel Relay swims, visit https://swimtayka.org/.
