2010 ISLAND CHARITY SWIM

In 2009 the swim raised over $80,000 and in this special anniversary year the committee aimed for $100,000 to bring the total fundraising close to the million dollar mark in ten years.

Saturday 14th August was a suberb morning and brilliant conditions to be swimming the 11km swim from Mudjimba Beach to Mooloolaba beach.   A little cool at the crack of dawn start, but things started heating up once the swimmers got into the water and on their way.  Boats, kayakers and swimmers all making their way to target destination - Mooloolaba beach.

Dr David was again a participating supporter, in his 5th year of the Island Charity swim finishing 5th from the individual starters in 2 hours and 45 minutes.  A little longer than his usual time, but we will let this one go since he has had 6 months off swim training and only been back in the water for 3 weeks leading up to the swim.  A little ear surgery contibuting to his time off.  A really brilliant effort and the stings to his face and hands are starting to wear off ..... 1 week later!  A great effort Dr David.. well done!

A big thankyou to our support crew - Lyndon Gordon and Kevin Boyle

DR  DAVID HENDREY  AND LYNDON GORDON  (SUPPORT CREW) AT THE FINISH LINE!!! WELL DONE!!

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80 dip in for charity  

IT was a beautiful day for a dip in the ocean, but maybe not for a gruelling 11km swim.

But that did not stop more than 80 competitors from toughing it out for a good cause in the eighth annual Mudjimba Island Charity swim yesterday.

Young and old lined up at the crack of dawn in their wetsuits - and a few in their budgie smugglers - to make their way from Mudjimba Island to Mooloolaba beach to raise money for the Currimundi and Nambour special schools.

Island Charity swim co-founders Bill Hoffman and Ashley Robinson , may not have been the fastest off the blocks, but the pair have inspired the community to get behind the annual event.

And brave duo Jack Carmine and Nick Darcy had the even harder task of swimming the course twice - leaving Mooloolaba about 6.30am and swimming to Mudjimba and then back.

The first to hit the beach in Mooloolaba - to the cheers from special school kids and their families - was the McDonald's-Hot 91 team, although with three triathletes in the team the odds were stacked in its favour.

Chiropractor Dave Hendrey was the first individual home, finishing in a super fast two-and-a-half hours.

And he could barely blow out a candle after the marathon 11km swim.

"It was really good, the wind was with us most of the way, and there were only a few stingers," he said.

"It's a great thing to get behind the kids and support them, and hopefully they'll reach the $100,000 fundraising target."

Father and son team Barrie and Matthew Blackwell weren't far behind, which was a huge effort given their combined age of 105 years.

As a former teacher at Currimundi Special School, Barrie said he knew how much the kids, parents and teachers at the school appreciated the community effort.

"It's very important for me to take part in the swim, but it's even more important that the community is doing something tangible for these two schools, because they're only little schools and it takes a big effort for them to raise funds," 69-year-old Barrie said.

In fact, Currimundi Special School principal Alwyn Green said it would have taken the school six or seven years to raise as much money as the swim had raised in just a few months.

The school will spend its share on air-conditioning for the school hall while Nambour Special School principal Ron Jones said their money would go toward upgrading one of the school buses.

And as the waves kept crashing in, so too did the exhausted swimmers and after a mammoth effort, Jack Carmine made his way to the beach.

He beat home Ashley Robinson and then about half an hour later, an exhausted Nick Darcy made it to shore shivering and cold.

Last home was Mr Hoffman, who struggled on to the beach almost five hours after setting out.

But in a true spirit of the swim, the 200-strong crowd cheered as he made it up the beach.