George Dillow, 10, opted to take on this challenge to pay tribute to his granddad, who died of pancreatic cancer at the start of the year, aged 72.
During the final stages of his illness, Michael Arslantas was treated at St Michael’s Hospice, in the town, and the fine care he received was what made his grandson want to raise money for this facility.
Fundraising efforts such as this one frequently benefit from poster printing in Basingstoke and similar towns, as this can help to get people interested and donating money.
George is a proficient swimmer with a membership at Basingstoke Bluefins Swimming Club, but taking on a 2,500-metre swim in the pool within Basingstoke Leisure Park still represented a major test for him.
His friends and family all attended to encourage him however, while a picture of his granddad was placed close by to offer further motivation.
Afterwards, George told a reporter from the Basingstoke Gazette that this helped him to imagine his granddad was there with him, adding:
“I focused on the swimming and did it non-stop. I’m happy that I raised all that money. Popa would be really proud.”
In total, George has raised more than £1,000 so far, but donations are still being accepted at JustGiving.com.