In breaking good news, Flip the Cancer swimmers raised in excess of R130,000 for the Children’s Hospital Trust. But, this was not just a successful fundraiser. It was a swim for solidarity. For hope. And, to show others the impossible can be done as swimmer Ray (who started and did the swim whilst undergoing cancer treatment) proved brilliantly:
Cape Town, South Africa (13 November 2024) — Twelve water polo players recently united as the Flip the Cancer squad and embarked on an icy mission of solidarity and hope for great success.
Flip the Cancer swimmer Ray Mc Callum is no stranger to the bitterly cold waters surrounding Robben Island. Just after his 70th, he swam to the island and by his 71st, he one-upped himself by heading there and back to shore. Ray planned to do the same for his 74th birthday. However, as he tells Good Things Guy, in between all his swims he was diagnosed with cancer and endured a heavy year of treatment.
Still determined to do the Robben Island swim and support an important cause—the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital Trust— Ray’s water polo teammates decided their friend should not do it alone. It was an opportunity to swim in solidarity with those in the group who were fighting cancer (Ray and Paul Martin) and to splash a little hope into the lives of young people who desperately need it. And so the Flip the Cancer squad was formed!
Their end-goal hoped to see them raise funds for the Red Cross War Memorial Children’s Hospital Trust, which is committed to protecting every child they serve. In a world and Western Cape where child abuse is a heart-breaking reality, the swimmers wanted to help the helpers supporting vulnerable children.
In the beginning of 2023, the Children’s Hospital Trust launched a comprehensive 5-year project dedicated to strengthening care for vulnerable children specifically (those who have experienced neglect, abuse and violence). It’s a project that seeks to expand its impact beyond the hospital walls to local clinics and more hospitals in a bid to give healthcare professionals more resources to identify and support child protection.
This way, children can receive counselling, support and psychological help—all of which are imperative to breaking cycles of abuse.
The Children’s Hospital Trust Project has 3 Objectives:
- Strengthening medical and surgical service co-ordination
- Skills Development and the development of training/learning platforms (this includes training for child protection teams at District Facilities)
- Service integration and facilitating sustainable improvements across the health system
In a massive dose of inspiration when it comes to overcoming the seemingly impossible, Ray shares that he wanted to do the swim whilst still undergoing treatment to show what can be done when one sets one’s mind to it.
On the 26/27 October weekend, the swimmers joined forces to tackle the Robben Island-Blouberg channel. The Flip the Cancer squad was comprised of Ray, John Dickerson, Nigel Cones, Paul Hablutzel, Brad Birnie, Rod Panagos, Kevin Ordman, Andrew Dawson, Oli Daffarn, Mike Solomons, Justin Hughes and Barry Gray.
This is despite the loss of Paul, who sadly passed away just a week before the swim.
Determined to honour him and do their part for the future of children in the Western Cape, the swimmers managed to raise in excess of R130,000, with funds still flowing in.
It’s an incredible story of exercising resilience for those you may never meet and flexing love in motion for those you care for. It’s a story that reminds us that we’re stronger together and one that reminds us that it’s worth giving our all to the battles we face, whether in our provinces or in our bodies. And it’s a story that’s made a massive difference, not just to the children in question, but to the readers who might just believe they have the power to do something extraordinary, too.
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