DVE Aquatic Swimathon 2025 – A Record-Breaking Day for a Powerful Cause

On Saturday 31st May, DVE Aquatic Club turned WaterMarc into a vibrant, energetic, and deeply heartfelt arena of community spirit for our 54th Annual Swimathon fundraiser – and what a day it was.

With the goal of raising funds for Berry Street, a leading organisation supporting vulnerable children, young people and families across Victoria, our swimmers – young and old – showed up in force, and the results were nothing short of inspiring.

74 swimmers participated across the 12-hour event, with a combined total of 18,908 laps completed – that’s over 450 kilometres of swimming! It marks a new club record and far surpasses even some of our best 24-hour efforts from past years.

The day was filled with unforgettable highlights:

• Zoe Macaulay powered through an incredible 1,000 laps

• Evie Anderson completed 724 laps, closely followed by Lily Makhlin with 714 laps

• Long-time club Life Member Roland Van Oorschot impressed with 850 laps

• Dozens of swimmers smashed their personal bests and stayed in far longer than planned, cheered on by friends, families, and volunteers

But it wasn’t just about the swimming. The Swimathon brought our whole club and community together:

• Guests of honour MP Kate Thwaites and MP Colin Brooks helped launch the event bright and early

• We kicked off the morning with a bacon and egg BBQ, with thanks to our amazing volunteers

• Community leaders and supporters including Ahmed Kelly, Tara Kinder, Wes Hurrey, and Cr. Mark Di Pasquale joined us poolside throughout the day

• Joshua Hargreaves donated his time and talent to provide free massage therapy for swimmers

• At 4pm, the pool was filled with laughter during our lilo relay, with swimmers and families splashing it out in good fun

• We rounded out the evening with a classic sausage sizzle to keep everyone fuelled to the finish

To date, we’ve raised over $7,000 for Berry Street.

Thank you to every swimmer, volunteer, donor, supporter, and friend who made this event such a success. The 2025 DVE Swimathon was more than just a fundraiser – it was a celebration of community, resilience, and what we can achieve when we move together.