Splash for cash: how domestic helper gives back to Hong Kong charity in 45km swim relay at sea

Swimmers are briefed at a training session at Shek O Beach. They are part of five relay teams that will swim 45km around Hong Kong Island to raise funds for charity. Photo: Edmond So

A domestic worker who was taught how to swim by a charity will join a relay team composed of former Olympians in making a 45km (28 miles) journey in the waters around Hong Kong Island to raise money for the underprivileged to have free swimming lessons.

Josephine Tolentino, a 54-year-old from the Philippines who has lived in the city for more than a decade, will swim alongside 29 other elite swimmers and business leaders in the competition on November 8.

Called Make Waves, the event is organised by Hong Kong-based charity Splash Foundation, which aims to raise HK$3.5 million (US$450,000) this year - HK$500,000 more than its goal in 2023. The funds will help domestic helpers and the underprivileged learn how to swim and enjoy the sport.

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"Swimming became the best solution I had to the stress and homesickness that comes with being a migrant worker," Tolentino told the Post. "I took the first step to learn to swim and found there was so much I could achieve. I want everyone to have the opportunity I had."

Other participants include Hong Kong's Italian consul general, Carmelo Ficarra, who is joining the competition for the first time and has been a keen swimmer since he was eight years old.

"The goal and value of the event are something I share, which is solidarity on a specific topic - to help kids and adults who are less fortunate than we are learn how to swim," Ficarra said.

Joining the cause also allowed him to forge connections with new people, such as his teammates, who shared a similar passion. They train together in Shek O and Repulse Bay, as well as individually. For Ficarra, this involves doing four swim sessions a week between 7am and 8am, and going to the gym.

"Sometimes we train at night as well, to familiarise [ourselves] with the environment in the water, because usually the event starts early in the morning when it's still dark," he said.

Five teams will compete in the relay. The entire journey is expected to take at least 10 hours, with each team member swimming for 30 minutes before another teammate takes over. Last year, the fastest team completed the race in 10 hours, 14 minutes and 55 seconds.

Tolentino first heard about the Splash Foundation from her friends in 2016 and joined their free beginner classes out of curiosity. Before that, she had splashed around in a river near her home in the Philippines with friends and siblings but never properly learned how to swim.

Through Splash, she learned the right techniques, became more passionate about the sport and graduated from the advanced class in 2018.

"I have seen many helpers who are good at swimming, and I want to be one of them," Tolentino said.

Whenever she has free time, she swims at the public pool at Victoria Park in Causeway Bay for about half an hour, or goes to Repulse Bay or South Bay with friends for open water training.

A few months ago, she received an invitation to join the 45km challenge and accepted without hesitation. She said she was grateful to her employer, who fully supported her joining the special training sessions, which take place two or three times a week.

The participants have practised in rough conditions. Tolentino said she found swimming through choppy waves to be the most challenging part of preparations, but was determined to overcome the difficulties.

She will team up with former Olympic swimmers Geoff Cheah and Hannah Wilson, as well as two other teammates.

Cheah, who represented Hong Kong in the 2016 Rio Olympics, said swimming had opened many doors for him.

"All my best friends are those who I grew up competing and training with," he said. "I am doing this challenge so we can improve swimming lessons for kids and adults in Hong Kong."

Marko Stojanovic, who was on the support boat last year, saw the number of passionate competitors, from Olympic athletes to everyday swimmers, and was inspired to become a participant in the water.

He joined as a swimmer this year and committed to serious training. He said he sometimes woke up at 5am to swim in Repulse Bay and would aim to keep up the routine even after the event was over.

"Practising hard is not only for myself, but it is for the team and for our objective - raising funds for those who want to learn how to swim but lack the resources," Stojanovic said.

Another participant, 50-year-old jeweller Jada Lam Wing-yan, said that the event was not only a personal challenge but also a meaningful way to promote the importance of knowing how to swim.

"To be honest, it is a very big challenge, especially for my age. So I am doing everything possible to get prepared for it," Lam said.

"But I am excited that Hong Kong children will benefit from the funds that we raise. They will be able to take swimming lessons and really enjoy the water and be safe in the water."

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This article originally appeared on the South China Morning Post (www.scmp.com), the leading news media reporting on China and Asia.

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