Woody Long insists he won’t be beaten by the weather and has vowed to return to take on the Arla Great North Swim in Windermere next year in memory of his brother Ollie, after raising over £6800 for Betknowmore UK.

Ollie, a Peer Aid Volunteer, took his own life in February 2024 as a result of awful, all-consuming addictions, and Woody, along with family members Laura and Ben, set out to complete the two-mile open water challenge in June after months of training.

A love for swimming was something Woody shared with Ollie, and the annual event in the Lake District seemed fitting, as taking on an open water swimming event was something they had long spoken about.

After travelling north under clear skies, severe weather conditions overnight brought power cuts and uncertainty about whether the event would proceed. The swim did eventually start, after a slight delay, and Woody, Laura and Ben made great progress, but by the second mile, the storm worsened. Safety boats were forced to remove the swimmers from the water, with Woody and Laura just 300 metres from the finish line when the event was cancelled.

Not only were they unable to finish the swim, they also missed the chance to celebrate with over 20 friends and family who had travelled to support them – but despite the setback, what they have achieved is extraordinary, with donations still coming in for their incredible tribute to Ollie.

Woody said, “The swim may not have gone the way we had imagined but this was only a small part of what we have achieved.

“The aim was to raise not only money to support the amazing services Betknowmore UK provide, but to raise as much awareness as possible for such an amazing charity and the harmful effects of gambling. We hope we’ve made a difference, YNWA.”

In July, Betknowmore UK were honoured to be invited by the Long family to visit Ollie’s memorial bench in Wendover in Buckinghamshire, where we were presented with a cheque and shared a moment of recognition that couldn’t happen at the finish line.

From everyone at Betknowmore UK, thank you Woody, Laura and Ben. Your love for Ollie, and continued commitment to supporting others impacted by gambling harm is making a huge difference.

If you would like to sponsor Woody, Laura and Ben, please visit their fundraising page here.

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