In December 2024, 631 swimmers took to the waters in Cape Town and the Garden Route for the 4th annual Mungo Swim Club. With 8 clubs in Glencairn, Camps Bay, Hout Bay, Greyton, Plettenberg Bay, Buffelsbaai, Nature’s Valley and Knysna, we collectively raised over R170,000, which was donated to I AM WATER Foundation, Nature’s Valley Trust and Cultural Connections, supporting ocean conservation and community upliftment.

To all who took part, well done on taking up the challenge. You were, like us, perhaps driven by the collective feeling that an early morning dip does wonders for the soul, and by the spirit of impacting meaningful change in your respective communities. Or perhaps by the keen sense that you never regret a swim…

We hope you feel revived. And that your custom Mungo towels remind you fondly of your swims. Here’s to Swim Club 2025.

Here’s What You Had to Say About It…

More from our blog:

Beyond the Waves | The Winter Solstice Swim | The Evolution of the Willow Beach Towel

This year we put a spin on our annual Swim Club – our much-anticipated 5-day early morning swim challenge, which we launched in 2021 with the shared goal to reconnect, revive and raise funds for a worthy cause.

In line with the Plett Ocean Festival, we hosted a one-day-only Winter Solstice Swim on June 20th 2024, challenging swimmers to submerge in the sea in the spirit of feeling good, making new friends and in a collective effort to raise funds for Adopt a Swimmer, a Plettenberg Bay-based NGO committed to giving every young child the life skill of learning to swim. With 128 swimmers taking part, we were able to raise R32,000 for Adopt a Swimmer. And of course, as a reward for getting you wet-haired and out of your comfort zone, we gifted all swimmers with a custom Mungo towel.

Adopt a Swimmer (AAS) is an organisation that creates a safe environment for children to learn the life-saving skill of swimming, under the care of professional coaches. Founded by Louise Auersperg in 2011, the organisation offers children from local, disadvantaged communities a pathway to water safety, and personal empowerment – recognising that swimming has the ability to foster confidence and self-reliance, boost physical and psychological well being, and equip children with essential life-saving water skills.

Louise’s personal journey set the foundations of the organisation. Inspired by her own struggles with epilepsy and learning disabilities, she recognised swimming’s transformative power to help children facing similar challenges.

“During my late teens and early adulthood I was privileged to spend most of my free time under or top of the water – either on boats, canoes, paddle skis, yachts, hobie cats, fishing or deep-sea diving. The water gave me freedom to discover more about myself without boundaries. I was inspired to share it with others, and to use water as a conduit to bring healing, to restore and to empower. Using the skills I have learnt, and sharing the experiences that have enriched my life, gave me the opportunity to offer hope to others facing difficulties,” says Louise.

Over the years, AAS has grown, helping over 800 children by providing not just swimming lessons but also a nurturing environment where all children can thrive, regardless of their background.

“Our students are from very challenging circumstances. We teach childrens from the local Born in Africa programme, whilst others might be recommended to us – students that would like to participate in Plett Nippers, or have dreams of becoming life savers, but cannot swim. We are also approached by other NGOs.’

Currently AAS employs two qualified coaches and 8 volunteers. The programme, which works with the natural pace of each child, lasts anywhere between 18 months to two years.

Seeing the children develop, and the opportunities that the skill of swimming affords them is a great source of joy for Louise.

“One of the first students to join the programme in the early days went on to join the Nippers, then Junior, and ultimately Senior, Life Saving. She was chosen to represent South Africa in the Lifesaving Champs in Egypt and World Lifesaving Champs in Italy, bringing back a gold medal.”

Reward is also found in the day-to-day milestones.

“Seeing students arrive that have never seen a pool, or been in one, get in and discover the soothing feeling of water on their bodies, or the moment when a nervous student finally lets go and starts taking their first few strokes, or witnessing one of our disabled students moving in the water on his own; turning on his back and floating… All of this gives me courage to face my own struggles head on.”

Looking towards the future, Lousie dreams of widening their reach. “We need more funds to teach more children, and to employ a full-time coach to run the programme daily. My dream is to pass on the torch, by teaching one of the students to coach, and employing them in the programme.”

To find out more about AAS, or how you can get involved, visit their website here.

A bird’s eye view of Poortjies lagoon in Plettenberg Bay mid-March would have afforded an interesting sight. Starfish bodies, floating on the water’s surface. Each connected at the centre, and slowly drawn down the line of the beach by a guide, donned in bright blue. You’d spot the telltale sign of a snorkel. A small face, coming up for air. A peal of laughter carried on the wind, rippling across the slow-moving tide.

At the end of 2023, we hosted our third annual Mungo Swim Club. A five-day challenge with the shared goal to reconnect, revive and raise funds for a worthy cause. We held clubs across Cape Town, Knysna and Plettenberg Bay, asking swimmers to join us for a consecutive series of early morning dips. We encouraged swimmers to extend their good will, by each donating towards I AM WATER to secure their spot. And in the end we rewarded each who saw it through – rain, wind or shine – with a custom Mungo Swim Club towel.

665 of you participated. Driven by a collective sense of good feeling – and perhaps the shared self-possession that you never regret a swim.

Through this we were able to raise over R100,000 for I AM WATER. A contribution supporting their incredible and vital work – one that tackles ocean conservation and issues of accessibility, by offering transformative water experiences for youths in under-resourced communities.

“IAW has helped me overcome my fear of not being able to swim, and helped me bridge the gap between my community and the ocean, making conservation accessible to those who, like me, yearn to be part of something greater. Now, as I teach the next generation about their connection to the oceans, I see the same spark of wonder in their eyes that I felt. It’s a reminder that no matter where we come from, the ocean is a part of us all, and it’s our duty to protect it.”

– Marlin van Sensie, IAW coach.

It was a pleasure to see the funds materialising into action, with the IAW team visiting the Garden Route to host a 2-day Ocean Guardians Workshop. The event began with a talk at the Crags Primary School, where IAW staff brought home the need to protect our oceans, against the real and present threats of overfishing, pollution, and habitat destruction. The enthusiastic and engaged responses from the students were a testament to the passion of the IAW team.

Then the Ocean Guardians Workshop was underway. Day 1 unfolded at Poortjies Lagoon in Plettenberg Bay, with a programme that included mindfulness and breathwork activities, educational presentations, nature walks and beach clean ups, explorations of the shore and team work activities, before getting into gear – wetsuits, masks and snorkels donned for the first dip. Guided by the team, the students were put at ease in the water, mastering their new gear before exploring the world of wonder below. Lunch on the beach followed, with an opportunity to share feedback and reflect on the day’s learnings.

“Hosting the Ocean Guardians Workshop in Plettenberg Bay and Knysna was a first-time endeavour for us… but the serene beauty of these locations offered a refreshing change of scenery, with new marine life to discover. The estuary and lagoon ecosystems presented a distinctive environment, teeming with seagrass, sea hares, hermit crabs, and nudibranchs.”

Day 2 saw the students building on their confidence from the previous day, with a trip to the Knysna Lagoon. Exploration of the rocky shores revealed an abundance of sea treasures – gem-toned anemones, starfish and even a shy octopus, before a dip into deeper waters of the Knysna Lagoon.

The afternoon ended off with a certificate ceremony, bringing home the students’ newfound roles as future ocean guardians.

“The most fulfilling aspect of conducting these workshops is witnessing the joy reflected in the students’ smiles at the conclusion of each session, helping them overcome their fears regarding the oceanic environment and its organisms. It’s a testament to the effort invested in educating, mentoring, and nurturing the upcoming generation. By equipping them with the necessary knowledge and skills I hope to inspire them to become stewards… perpetuating a legacy of ocean conservation.”

To mark the event, we presented each student with a Mungo Scout Towel, a sea-spired kids towel woven with 100% organic cotton, and designed with the next generation of in mind.

A towel we like to say was designed for the sea swimmers, oceanographers, avid explorers… for the rockpool-finders, sandcastle builders and first-time snorkellers of the future…

Looking around at the faces, and hearing the feedback at close of day, drove it all home.
The importance of hopefulness. The power of possibility. The value of inspired collective action.
What a pleasure it has been to work with this incredible team.
Here’s to Swim Club 2024.

 

Want to get involved? Sign up to our mailing list to join one of our upcoming Swim Clubs.

IAW was founded by South African freediver and ocean conservationist, Hanli Prinsloo. Read our conversation with her, The Art of Being Optimistic, next on our blog.

Ending off the year on a high with our Swim Club finale.

This December, 655 early morning swimmers dove into the sea, across 6 clubs in Cape Town, Plettenberg Bay, and Knysna. Together, we’ve raised over R100,000. All the proceeds will be donated to the I AM WATER foundation, a registered NPO committed to using environmental education to ignite the passion for conservation in the next generation. We celebrated this accomplishment by awarding every participant with a custom woven Mungo towel.

Read more about our previous Swim Clubs, and how it all began, here.

“You never regret a swim.”
A friend once told you this. You were hiking in a forest and the trees broke open into a quiet stream.
“Wanna get in?”
“Sure.”
The water was cool and dark. Little beams of sunlight cracked their way between the leaves.

You’ve remembered this. Put it in your pocket like a personal mission statement.
Yes.
You’re the kind of girl that always says yes to a swim.
So then,
Surely,
You could never say no to the Mungo Swim Club.
But.
It’s early.
And you live in Plett and you’re used to rolling out of bed at 8am.
But.
You’re true to your word,
If anything.

So you get up early.
Resist the alarm clock at first, but then kick your legs off the bed and wipe your eyes
And when you’re up
And in the car
And on your way
You’re in it –
There’s no going back.

You get to the beach.
You’re still half asleep and the water looks pretty cold.
You dip a toe in and confirm: freezing.
But there’s a big group of people around you that are here too.
And you’re in it together.
You’ve made this commitment to yourself.
And to them, in a way.
A silent pact.

And once your head’s beneath the waves
Something happens
Especially if you linger a little
To let the water seep into your bones
And behind your toes
And wash away the mental cobwebs.
And then you get out.
And chat to the person next to you.
You find out they live just up the road
Or like the same secret coffee spot as you
Or drove here with their dog.

Maybe by the end of the five days
You’ve learnt these people’s names
Or said
“Hey, are you getting a coffee at that secret spot? Cool, I am too.”

And for the rest of the day
The smell of the sea salt lingered on your skin
Or in your hair.
You had that little shiver of cold water about you
And you carried around with you a secret smile –
That you’d seen the dawn
You’d danced beneath the sea
You’d felt a little more connected
To something,
Somehow
To the water
Or the waves
Or perhaps
Just
Yourself.

A special shout-out to our dedicated ambassadors who were there every morning to register your swims. Thank you @lilla_ae, @sunnyshelbs, @coldwatersocialclub, @chloewallacejewellery, @conoreastment, @jaybonemusic and @amy_theresa_murgatroyd. And huge appreciation to the Plett lifeguards.

Thank you to @mattie_lennon and angus_tongs_and_photo_blogging for joining us for the swims, and sharing the photos used in this blog.

There’s a kind of magic in an early morning swim…
To dip into the salty sea before the day begins
Before office hours and computers and well-worded emails
To refresh. To revive.
To connect more – to the sea. To ourselves. And to each other…

It was from this idea that the first Mungo Swim Club was born.

Swim Club 2021

We launched the Mungo Swim Club in 2021 – a 5-day challenge with the idea to help us all feel good, and give back something whilst doing so.

We sent a newsletter on a Thursday afternoon at the end of November. Made nervous jokes about whether anyone would join us. 12 was one guess. ’15 people?’ was Tessa’s. And in the morning we came into the office with a full mailbox – and an incredibly enthusiastic response.

In the end, 231 swimmers completed this first challenge – meeting us every morning for a sunrise dip at Hobie Beach, Clifton and Dalebrook. Through Swim Club 1.0 we awarded 231 swimmers a Mungo towel, and sponsored 231 Surf Therapy lessons with Waves for Change.

Waves for Changes is a registered South African NPO who work with youths from stressed environments to develop a community-based, child-friendly mental health service through Surf Therapy.

Swim Club 2022

With our newly launched European site, based in Northern Ireland, in 2022 year we thought to take our Swim Club to foreign shores… In October 2022, we held a Swim Club in the Lake District – a five-day cold water challenge, hosted by Monique Rodgers. 15 swimmers completed the five days, and on their behalf we sponsored 15 Rivers Guardians workshops with I AM WATER foundation.

Two months later we launched our second South African Swim Club. Again the popularity took us by surprise – with over 300 people registering within the first two hours. We hosted 3 pods at Hobie Beach, Clifton 4th and Water’s Edge from the 5th to the 9th of December. We had 292 swimmers complete the challenge. For every person to stick it out, we donated R100 towards an I AM WATER foundation River Guardians workshop. By the end of the week, we were pleased to hand over R29,200 to I AM WATER.

2022’s Swim Club had an incredible response – and so for all those who missed out, we decided to open two more pods to round out the year – one in Knysna, and another in Plett. With 164 swimmers in 2022, we were able to raise an extra R16,400 for I AM WATER.

Clifton 4th images supplied by Angus Mackenzie and Tremayne Ward-Smith.

Swim Club 2023

This year we expanded our Swim Club across 5 locations in Cape Town, Plettenberg Bay and Knysna.

655 swimmers swimmers joined us this year helping us to to collectively raise our biggest sum yet – over R100,000 for I AM WATER foundation.⁠

A shout-out to all those who joined us to swim rain or shine, to our ambassadors who were there to register the swimmers, and to the Plett lifeguards.⁠

⁠Swim Club 2023 images supplied by Matt Lennon.

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I AM WATER

This year’s Swim Club beneficiary is I AM WATER foundation, for their incredible work using environmental education as a tool to inspire the next generation of conservationists. They work with under-resourced coastal communities who, despite their proximity to the shoreline, have often never explored the world beneath the waves. Those who have opened their eyes underwater, those who have seen the beauty, the majesty, and the great marine creatures of this world, will learn to love and to protect it.