David Walliams Makes a Splash for Sport Relief

    Little Britain star David Walliams today ended months of speculation by announcing his epic attempt to swim 21 miles across the English Channel to raise cash for Sport Relief.

The Speedo Sport Relief Super Swim will see David brave freezing waters for up to 16 hours, dodge tankers and plough through seaweed but he needs the help of the British public to do it.

David is today urging everybody to help keep him afloat by going to Sport Relief Super Swim (http://www.sportrelief.com/superswim ) and pledging their support for his fundraising marathon

More people have managed to climb Everest than successfully swim the English Channel and less than 10% of people who have attempted the challenge have succeeded in reaching France.

The story of David's enormous undertaking will be documented in a one-hour programme, Little Britain's Big Swim, by the makers of ONE Life on BBC ONE on July 14th.

To help prepare for the mammoth endurance feat David has teamed up with an expert from the English Institute of Sport, Greg Whyte, who has overseen his training schedule for the last 11 months.

'The English Channel is the blue ribbon event of endurance swimming and represents one of the toughest physical challenges on the planet. David has been working tirelessly over the past 11 months to make an attempt on the channel, demonstrating a level of work and commitment as great as any elite athlete I have met.' (Greg Whyte)

Notes to Editors:
Readers can also support David by texting SWIM DAVID to 82125. Texts cost 1 plus standard operator charge and at least 70p from each text will go towards David's fundraising total. Every person to text will receive a phone wallpaper image of David dressed as a lady!

T&Cs:
Wallpaper costs 1 plus your standard network rate. Pre-paid users will not receive the download if there is insufficient credit on the phone. Phones must be WAP enabled. Errors will be billed. All information and pricing correct at date of print but may be subject to change without notice. Users of the service must be 16+ and have the billpayers permission. For full terms and conditions go to www.itouch.co.uk/terms/sportreliefwallpaper. Service provided by iTouch UK, EC2A 4PF. Customer care 0871 200 2727 (national rate.)
More facts about the Speedo Sport Relief Super Swim (http://www.sportrelief.com/superswim ).

Speedo is helping Sport Relief 2006 make a real splash with the Speedo Super Swim. The world's leading swimwear brand has lent its support to comedian David Walliams, throughout the impressive endurance feat.

Professor Greg Whyte is the Director of Science and Research at the English Institute of Sport. The EIS provides sports science and sports medicine support to the country's top athletes. For more information on the EIS log on to the EIS site (http://www.eis2win.co.uk ).

Go the Extra Mile on Sport Relief Saturday, July 15th 2006. Visit sport relief (http://www.sportrelief.com ) to find out more.

To make a donation, call 08457 910 910 (local call charges apply).

Sport Relief was set up by Comic Relief and BBC Sport to tackle poverty and disadvantage here at home and overseas

Since its launch in 2002, Sport Relief has raised over 30 million.
Half of the money raised will be spent in the UK to help give those living in disadvantaged and divided communities a better life; the other half will help children and young people in the world's poorest countries, faced with the daily reality of extreme poverty, abuse and exploitation.

Sport Relief is an initiative of Comic Relief, registered charity 326568, in association with BBC Sport.

David's training couldn't have been possible without access to the following swimming pools: Central Park Swimming Pool (Plymouth), Ponds Forge International Pool (Sheffield), Manchester Aquatics Centre (Manchester), University of Nottingham Swimming Pool (Nottingham), Tollcross Park Leisure Centre (Glasgow), The Royal Commonweath Pool (Edinburgh), Liverpool University Sports Centre (Liverpool), Wycombe Sports Centre (High Wycombe), University of Bath Training Village (Bath), University of East Anglia Sports Park (Norwich), Munrow Sports Centre (Birmingham), Moor Park Swimming Pool (Blackpool), City Pool (Newcastle), Holmes Plave Health Club (Manchester), Littledown Centre (Bournemouth), Bristol South Pool (Bristol), King Alfred Leisure Centre (Hove), Scotstoun Leisure Centre (Glasgow), Sheffield University Goodwin Sports Centre (Sheffield)

For more information contact:
Katie Morrison: [email protected] or 020 7820 6936
or Lucy McGill: [email protected] or 020 7840 2529

For pictures contact:
Lucille Flood: [email protected] or 020 7820 5583

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