For the past few weeks, young swimmers from across Bermuda have been training and collecting charitable pledges in preparation for the annual Round the Sound swimming event. This Sunday the swimmers will be racing around Harrington Sound distances ranging from 800 metres to 10 kilometres.

Swimmers participating in the 10K race will begin their swim at 10 a.m. at the Aquarium, and will finish the race at Palmetto Bay along with the other participants from the range of distances around Harrington Sound. The 7.25K race will begin at 10.45 a.m. from My Lord's Bay Dock, the 4K race will commence at 11.45 a.m. at Shark Hole, the 2K race at 12.15 p.m. at Turtle Island Dock, and the 800 metres race at 12.45 p.m. at the Harrington Sound Dock. These areas and others around the Sound will provide the best viewing points for what is sure to be a riveting race.

Several swimmers of different ages from swim teams across the Island will be participating in the race. Categories include the 12 years and under swimmers, teenage swimmers from 13-19, and three adult swimmer categories. At 2 p.m. once the swimmers have completed the races, an awards ceremony and low-key ceremony will take place at Palmetto Gardens to acknowledge the dedicated swimmers who managed to collect the most pledges for this year's charity of choice, the Bermuda Sloop Foundation.

The Foundation, unique in its use of ocean sail training, has the primary goal of educating young Bermudians culturally, historically and environmentally, all while establishing character building qualities such as teamwork and perseverance through hands on technical training.

Collecting the pledges and participating in the yearly race have become significant to the swimmers in that this particular organisation highlights the importance of the Bermudian youth's prosperity. As there is a rapidly growing number of young swimmers on the island, the ability to contribute to a charity that benefits young people while shedding light on the continuing success of our swimmers has become imperative.

The participants of this event prove to have promising futures ahead of them. A member of the Dolphins Swim Team, participant Matthew Frick acknowledged that the Round the Sound is "great for helping charities and contributing community service hours." The young swimmer, who trains on a weekly basis at the BASA swimming pool, claims that the difference between swimming in the pool and swimming in the ocean is significant: "In the ocean you're lighter, you can't see the bottom." However, despite his excitement for the race, when asked, he acknowledged that more attention could be attributed to the swimming community. He said, "I think [the government] should start fundraising and consider us a real sport compared to football and cricket." Adding that swimming is good for fitness, he declared that he plans to continue swimming through college and after school.

Ten-year-old participant and member of the Sharks Swim Team, Mitch Gariepy said that he also wants to continue building on his swim career, claiming: "I want to try and make Carifta and set records." Although Gariepy dominates the competition in the pool, swimming the 800 metres race in the ocean can be more of a challenge for him because he doesn't like the salt water. However, despite his nerves, he plans to demonstrate what the Bermuda Sloop Foundation stands for in pursing a challenge, as he wants to "help the charity and represent Sharks."

Both swimmers represent what the Bermuda Sloop Foundation is striving to achieve, through their determination to complete the swim despite the challenge and their desire to pursue their goals with the intention of gaining success for themselves, and Bermuda's youth as a whole. While the Round the Sound swim has the primary goal of contributing to several of Bermuda's charities, they achieve an equally profound accomplishment in allowing their swimmers to raise awareness for their swimming abilities and prove themselves in a competition that the public will be able to take sufficient notice of.