"We have a lot of strong swimmers from our junior academy performance development classes, all the way up to our adult triathletes and masters.
"We're planning to space them out over the five hours, which should give us a slight boost in the number of lengths we get done," she said.
Swim Rotorua head coach Alastair Johnson said he was encouraging members to raise funds and to take up the challenge to push themselves a bit harder to rack up the lengths. The event has some personal significance for Mr Johnson, through his coach from when he started out. "My old swim coach had polio when he was a boy, and walked with a limp, so it's good to feel like I'm contributing to getting rid of it," he said.
According to the New Zealand Ministry of Health website, polio (poliomyelitis) is caused by a virus which can lead to a mild or serious illness. The virus infects the bowel and from there can attack the nervous system, causing meningitis or paralysis.
Polio has disappeared from New Zealand and most parts of the world as a result of immunisation.
The Western Pacific region was declared polio-free in 2000. However, the disease is still prevalent in much of central Africa and in parts of Asia and the Middle East, including Syria.
To register as a swimmer, or as a sponsor, contact James Billing on (027) 839 5724. For more information, visit www.rotaryrotoruasunrise.co.nz
