Aquatic staff raise over $8,500 for Starlight Children’s Foundation

Published on 29 March 2020

We are very proud of our Aquatic and Leisure Centre staff who took on the Starlight Super Swim challenge in February. The Starlight Super Swim is a 30-day challenge to support sick children and their families by raising funds for the Starlight Children's Foundation. Some swimming solo, while others teamed up to complete the super swim as a unit. We wish to congratulate all staff on their achievement!

Riverstone Swimming Centre Riverstone Swimming Centre Activity Assistants Lauren Hammond and Linda Simmons took on the 2020 Starlight Super Swim to help support very sick children and their families. Together Lauren and Linda swam over 24 km in their free time and lunch breaks during the 30-day challenge, with the support from their family, friends and poolside cheer squad. The Riverstone girls raised $1,032 for the Starlight Foundation and are looking forward to signing up again for the challenge in 2021! 

Blacktown Leisure Centre Stanhope Aqua Learn to Swim Stanhope created 1 super group with 15 members in their team, impressively landing themselves as the 10th highest fundraiser in the Starlight Super Swim in Australia.  Collectively they reached $5,080 swimming a total of 149.725 km with Team Leader Kate Williamson leading the charge raising $1,010 herself. Team ‘Aqua-Stanhope’ included staff members Anna Macpherson, Sarah Luckman, Kelly Andretta, Daniella Volpe, Linda Nichols, Cass Arthur, Rowena Baker, Elizabeth Kamberidis, Lorena Pena, Lisa Reeves, Kelly Cleary, Isabella Wilson and Rhiannon Williamson. Every minute of every day a child is admitted to hospital in Australia, together they wanted to hit their fundraising goal and brighten the lives of these children.

Blacktown Aquatic Centre Activity Assistant and Learn to Swim Instructor Margaret Nancarrow from Blacktown Aquatic Centre took on the challenge this year with her partner. Together the couple swam a total of 90 km in the 30 days and raised just over $750! This is an impressive feat; the couple went above and beyond and swam 45 km each which is the equivalent of swimming the distance of English Channel almost 1.5 times.

Margaret was motivated to do the Super Swim because she has family with a child that has been in and out of hospital since they were born. Seeing how much her family have struggled with this, she wanted to help and show some support to families like them across Australia.

Charlie Lowles Leisure Centre Emerton Another super group that participated was team Aqua-Emerton! Emerton’s team consisted of 12 members, 7 of them staff and their friends and family. This team included Katie Hagan, Fiona Stewart, Casey Bury, Holly Aubert, Nicole Portelli, Lauren Hammond and Linda Simmons. The team raised $3,094 and they swam a total of 140.475km altogether!

Aqua Learn to Swim Team Leader at Emerton, Katie Hagan, enjoys raising funds and awareness for charities wherever she can. Katie was inspired to join a team as swimming has always been a part of her life for many reasons including fitness. In the last year she has been changing up her fitness routine a lot to stay motivated.

It’s great to see our Council staff across Blacktown Key Venues raising funds, awareness and taking part in a worthy cause, continuing to be role models in our community.

Media contact: Valentina Saric - (02) 9839 6589 or 0400 958 267