10km Swim to Raise awareness of Malaria

A 10km swim to raise awareness of malaria and supply bed nets to those most effected.

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Malaria is known to be one of the worlds deadliest diseases, and today still results in up to 500,000 deaths a year world wide.

In 2016 I contracted Plasmodium Falciprium Malaria in the Solomon Islands and its' impacts have been life changing. I personally, am lucky to have made progress - however day to day, my systems response means that I experience a weakness particularly to my hands and lower limbs resulting in a gait, muscle spasms, poor balance, fatigue and cognitive difficulty etc. I have had to retrain myself on basic movement patterns.

On the 25th of January I will be swimming 10km at the Ruby Island Swim in Lake Wanaka. This for me is a personal goal. Swimming has been a huge part of my recovery - physically and mentally (Yet the thought of being able to walk this far is still rather distant...)

I am using this as an opportunity to raise awareness of malaria and where possible raise money to supply mosquito nets to rural communities in the Solomon Islands. My colleague Zubin (currently working with Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade) will be delivering the nets on work trips and visits to chief officers in the provinces so all money raised will go directly to the cause and to people in most need.

Population-wide protection can result from the killing of mosquitoes on a large scale where there is high access and usage of such nets within a community.

Info on Malaria for travellers: https://www.healthline.com/health/malaria

Blog: https://tortoiseandtheharesite.wordpress.com/2017/07/25/the-itch-behind-the-bite-an-unhappy-nervous-system/