Leigh Burrell is about to mark a milestone in her life. Turning 50 next week, and looking for suitable challenge, she was inspired by an 80-year-old man in Wellington who bowled for 80 days to mark his 80th birthday.
"I just went from there," she says. "I thought, if he can do that, then
I can do this."
"This" is her challenge: swimming at 50 beaches in a year to raise funds for the Cancer Society.
"Everyone I've told about it thought it was a good idea and, as long as I'm doing it, I should do it for a purpose."
Mrs Burrell, a teacher at Stanhope Rd Primary School in Mt Wellington, takes her boogie board and wetsuit to classes before summer each year to impress upon the pupils the need for safety when swimming.
"The amount of drownings we had last year was terrible," she says. "A lot of schools have taken out their pools and a lot of kids can't swim. And so I just came up with the idea based through those initial sort-throughs."
She looked at the logistics and floated the idea among her friends."They all thought I could do it and that it was a really good idea. They said we will swim with you and we will make a donation to the Cancer Society and it has just gone from there.
"It just kind of picked up momentum," she says, a little surprised herself about how the challenge has taken on a life of its own. To this mum of two grown kids, it is also about women reclaiming their lives.
"What I really want to do is promote women's health as well, especially for us who have been completely frantic with our children up until the age of 18. I just want to encourage those women to get into the water themselves." she says.
"Our kids are older. They're not bulletproof, but we should have been able to teach them what's what in the water. Now it's time for us to revisit the ocean for ourselves, basically, and enjoy the water as older people."
Mrs Burrell insists that the beach shouldn't just be about supple bodies and youth. " I don't care what anyone looks like. That shouldn't restrict people from enjoying the water.
"We've got some of the most unbelievable beaches in the world. We should just get out and enjoy them.
For Mrs Burrell, determination is key. "I am not an athlete. I'm just a normal person who wants to do this challenge. I don't generally swim at the beach in winter, but if it takes me up to March and April, then that's what I'll do."
Swim50 Challenge
Leigh Burrell's swim50 challenge will be officially launched on her birthday on September 24 with friends and family.
To follow her challenge, see her Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/swim50 or email her at swim50@hotmail.co.nz.
Online donations to the Cancer Society at "swim50" - BNZ account number 02-1275-0000362-97 - or at the swim site
