Great North Swim in Lake Windermere

By Victoria Purcell on September 15th 2010

The annual Great North Swim in Lake Windermere – the premier outdoor swim event of the UK and voted 5th top open-water swim in the world in 2008 – was cancelled this year due to high levels of blue-green algae in the water. South east Londoner Aaron Orwin, who was gearing up for the charity cold water swim on 5 September, was among the nearly 9,000 participants left disappointed.

The algae can cause sickness or skin rashes, and so nearly 9,000 who had signed up for the charity swim due to take place on September, including Aaron and the Exorex team, were left disappointed.

Event organisers, Nova International, hope to reschedule the race, although this may not be until 2011. Aaron and his three fellow swimmers – who form the Exorex team, swimming to raise awareness of the skin condition, psoriasis – are now looking for alternative outdoor swims.

Psoriasis is one of the most common skin disorders in the UK, affecting 2-3% of people in the UK and Ireland. It is estimated that the condition affects around one million people in the UK, which can have a terrible effect on self-confidence and therefore damage relationships and lifestyle.

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