Greater Manchester mum and son dive into Swimathon in memory of husband and dad

Sharon McCormick, 53 and her son 15-year-old Adam, from Rochdale will swim 7.5k between them when they take part in Swimathon 2025 later this month as a tribute to Dave, who died in 2022 aged 51.

The dad-of-two was first given the devastating cancer diagnosis in October 2019 when he went to see his GP after suffering with stomach pains and a sudden yellow colouring in his eyes.

Dave, an HGV driver, had surgery followed by chemotherapy and briefly went into remission. But just 12 months later the cancer had returned, and sadly this time it was inoperable.

Sharon, also mum to Luke, 18, said: “Dave was determined to get to see our 20thwedding anniversary, which was in the April, then he died in the June. Grief is such a bizarre emotion because you almost don’t want to be happy, but you’re so sick of not being happy. I knew it’d be tough, that I’d be angry and sad but didn’t know it would be like this. It’s so hard.”

Sharon first started swimming regularly while Dave was going through treatment and has gone from struggling to do a couple of lengths at a time to training every week.

Later this month, Sharon and Adam and other members of the Rochdale Triathlon Club and Rochdale Underwater Hockey Club will take on the Swimathon challenge when they dive into the pool at Abraham Moss Leisure Centre to raise money for Cancer Research UK, the end-of-life charity Marie Curie and Swimathon Foundation.

Swimathon – the world’s biggest annual fundraising swim - takes place from 28-30 March at pools and venues across Greater Manchester including Abraham Moss Leisure Centre, East Manchester Leisure Centre, Beswick, Manchester Aquatics Centre, Booth Street East, North City Fitness Centre, Harpurhay, The Pelican Centre, Tyldesley, Horwich Leisure Centre and Sir Jason Kenny Centre, Bolton.

By sharing her story Sharon hopes to inspire people to get off the starting blocks and support the causes close to her heart.

The data quality analyst added: “I only started swimming because Adam wanted to swim with the triathlon club which required a parent to also be in the water because he was still young at the time. At the time Dave wasn’t well enough, so it had to be me. I remember setting myself a target to try and do 10 lengths and didn’t think I would ever do it, and now that’s just my warmup!

“Then when the clubs said they were taking part in Swimathon we decided that these charities really resonated with us, and it felt right to join in. The club members have seen me cry and helped me cope over the past few years. And because for so long it’s been about sadness, I wanted to do something positive. This horrendous thing has happened but equally we can still enjoy good things.

“I’m not a strong or fast swimmer so the challenge will be tough for me. Every stroke I take in the water will not only bring me closer to health and wellness but help support essential research and care that countless individuals rely on. My experience means I understand all too clearly why events like Swimathon are so crucial to help fund the work of charities like Cancer Research UK and Marie Curie. So let’s dive in together and help create a brighter tomorrow!”

Sharon is looking forward to taking on the 2.5k Swimathon challenge and Adam will complete the 5k distance. But there’s a variety of individual challenges to choose from for people of all ages and abilities - from 400m up to a Triple 5k – or teams of 2-5 people can take part in a 1.5k or 5k relay.

Any swimmers who can’t make one of the organised sessions can sign up to MySwimathon, and choose a distance, time and venue that suits them to complete their swim between March 21–April 21.

Since Swimathon started in 1986, more than 750,000 swimmers have taken part and raised over £55 million for a variety of nominated charities.

Cancer Research UK spokesperson for the North West, Jemma Humphreys said: “We’re grateful to Sharon and Adam and their family for all their support. Thanks to the generosity and commitment of supporters like them, our scientists have played a role in around half of the world’s essential cancer drugs, led the development of chemotherapy and radiotherapy and paved the way for targeted treatments. But with nearly one in two people diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime,* we must go further and faster.

“There are lots of great benefits to taking part in Swimathon, not least the chance to enjoy the water while supporting people like Sharon. That’s why we’re urging swimmers to take the plunge, raise money and help us to keep making new discoveries and breakthroughs. Together we are beating cancer.”

National Events Manager for Marie Curie, Hannah Grant, said:“Swimathon is a fun and family friendly way for people to take on a new challenge and raise money for a good cause. Every five minutes, someone in the UK dies without the care they need. No matter what your ability, just by heading down to your local pool this March you can raise money to help Marie Curie continue to bring expert palliative and end of life care to more people, whatever their illness.”

Training plans are available for all challenges on the Swimathon website.

Sign up now at swimathon.org