SWIMMERS contributed a splash of colour when they raised lots of cash for Sport Relief as part of the Sport Relief Swimathon, recently.

More than 15 local swimmers took the plunge and faced the challenge of completing the Sport Relief Swimathon at Barry Leisure Centre as part of the National Swimathon Weekend.

Swimmers completed 1.5km, 2.5km or 5km either individually or as a small team.

Four participants opted to complete the gruelling 5km swim - 200 lengths of the main pool.

The swimmers came along with friends and family, sported their colourful swimming caps and eagerly entered the water to raise money for this very worthy cause. Staff from the leisure centre counted the laps and encouraged the swimmers all the way; they were all impressed with some of the very competitive times achieved across the board.

Fastest male, Steve ‘Stez’ Brown, of Barry, completed the 5km challenge in 1 hour and 39 minutes and raised more than £500 in sponsorship for Sport Relief.

Fastest female Carys Robinson, of Penarth, finished the 5km swim in 1 hour and 35 minutes.

Youngest swimmers Daisy O’Neill, 11, and Megan Hill, ten, completed 1.5km each and raised more than £200.

Organiser and Parkwood Community Leisure aquatic development officer, Jenny Alcock said: “The dedication and training that the swimmers have clearly put in over the last few months is really inspiring. No matter what time they did it in, all of these swimmers completed the distance they set out to achieve and finished with a big smile on their face, well done!”

The Swimathon is held every year at pools across the Vale and the charity benefiting next year will be Marie Curie.

To dip into Britain’s biggest swim, visit www.swimathon.org for more information.

To get involved in swimming and training, call the leisure centres on 01446 403000.