Dear fellow swimmers
You don't miss your water 'til it's gone
Last week we asked if the sewage scandal has a silver lining. Well, if it does, it was too little and too late for Henley Swim. Their section of the Thames has been at the centre of campaigning about sewage
discharges.
And while we know the water quality there can be excellent, it can also be dangerously polluted. Over the last couple of years, fewer swimmers have been prepared to take the risk that event day will be a good day.
Professionally run events like Henley Swim have a high cost base and are unsustainable with low numbers of participants. They've therefore been forced to cease trading.
Judging by comments on social media, they will be missed.
"Really sad about this. I started swimming at Henley in 2019 as one of ‘This Girl Can’ and have swum in at least two of their events every year since and have volunteered for the past two years. I have never been ill and loved the atmosphere. Big thanks to Juliet and team for all the memories."
"I'm absolutely gutted, I've volunteered for them for several years, and took part in the swims. They were an amazing team to work with. It's just awful. My thanks to all that were involved with Henley Swim, I will really miss it."
"Sad inditement when such a popular company promoting good health is killed off by Thames Water
pollution. I used to swim in the Thames every week but I won’t anymore."
"I’m so so sad about this. Henley Swim have been the very best swim event organiser. I’d been planning my 5th Thames Marathon this year and it’s probably my favourite swim of the year."
"I'm absolutely gutted. The Thames Marathon was my first over 10km swim and is what helped build my love of long distance swimming! The team at Henley were fantastic and so welcoming in terms of accessibility too. A HUGE loss to the open water swim event calendar."
"I am very sad to
hear this, this company did a fantastic job for open water swimming."
"I did the Thames Half marathon, full marathon and Club to Pub with them. All very well organised, friendly staff and a real sense of a great day."
"The Henley Mile was the first time I’d put my big toe in open water, 2 years before my Channel solo. It was the start of everything for me."
We've had a close association with Henley Swim for many years and have been the headline sponsor for the Henley Swim Festival since 2014. Their closure marks the end of a
fantastic revival in swimming in the Thames. It's a devastating loss to the outdoor swimming community.
Please keep doing your best to campaign for cleaner water so that outdoor swimming can thrive.
