A HOOK man swam for nearly five hours from Switzerland to France, across Lake Geneva, with a friend in support of Beat, the UK’s eating disorder charity.
Oscar Sanger and Will Henman, from Greater London, are both in their early 20s and took on the 13k swim together. They have raised over £3,000 so far to help ensure that people with eating disorders are able to get the care they need.
Each morning on the way to class during their year abroad in Lausanne, Oscar and Will would walk by Lake Geneva with its stunning views, which gave them the idea to take on the long swim.
READ MORE: Meet the man who has run 100 marathons to mark his 60th birthday
Stint, a company which enables students to work flexibly, paid for the support boat and lifeguard needed for the swim to help keep Will and Oscar safe.
Oscar said: "When I was studying in Lausanne, my cousin was hospitalised for an eating disorder. It’s been devastating for our whole family, and I wanted to find a way to show my support and so we decided we were going to swim across the lake.
"When I started talking about my fundraising idea with friends back at Exeter university, it became apparent that eating disorders are so prevalent amongst university students, with almost all my friends knowing someone who’s been affected by an eating disorder.
"Having researched the illnesses further I was shocked to see that 13 per cent of adults will experience an eating disorder before the age of 20.
"These learnings widened the objective of our swim, beyond my personal family situation, to aiming to spread awareness regarding how common eating disorders are in society.
SEE ALSO: Man in 50s dies after Audi A4 crashes into railway bridge in Basingstoke
"I believe that educating kids when they are young on the importance of food, balanced diets and cooking for our physical and mental health is vital. This should include information about potential signs of eating disorders and talking about charities like Beat where people can get support."
Community fundraising officer at Beat, Emily Weal, said: "We are so proud of Oscar and Will for taking on this incredible challenge. Talking about eating disorders isn’t easy, especially when your family has been affected.
"We’re really grateful for all the donations made which will help ensure that we can keep supporting the 1.25 million people in the UK who have an eating disorder. We will also continue to help families to guide their loved ones towards recovery whilst looking after their own mental health."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here