Despite the oppressive Australian heat, summer is a big time for sport and fitness in this sun-baked country of ours, especially right here on the Sunshine Coast, especially when it’s for charity. From endurance to motorsport, it’s all happening here this summer. One of the first summer sports events off the ranks this year is the Noosa Summer Swim, and it’s bigger than ever.

This February 2nd and 3rd Noosa Heads will again play host to a World Series Swim event – the Noosa Summer Swim. This mammoth endurance swimming event has grown this year to include two days of events to test the metal of anyone daring enough to step up and put pride on the line in any of the days events. But of course, the event isn’t just about glory and endurance, it’s also a chance to help make a difference to some young lives. All entrants to the event will have the opportunity to start fund-raising for the Kids Cancer Project, an official partner in the World Series Swims events. The Kids’ Cancer Project is a national charity dedicated to supporting childhood cancer research. Kids’ get different types of cancer to adults and research is discovering more targeted and effective ways to help kids while minimising the long-term side effects treatment can bring. Twenty years since its inception, and the charity has raised over $30 million for various research project across Australia, and plans to continue to support these research efforts. Such research initiatives represent a serious and considered approach to fighting back, providing new treatment options and giving hope to the 950 children and young adolescents diagnosed each year.

Of course, there’s also an event just for the kids, the Mooloolaba Superkidz Triathlon. You know it will be good because they spell Superkids with a ‘Z’, so it must be cool. In all seriousness, this event is perfectly catered to budding young athletes, not yet ready to race alongside the big boys, between the ages of 7 and 13 years old. They do, of course, offer different races for both the 7-10 years age group, with a smaller event, and a slightly longer, more difficult and testing event for the 11 to 13 age bracket. For the 7-10s, there is a 100m swim, 1km bike ride, and a 500m run to finish off. If that doesn’t put them to bed at a decent hour, nothing will. For the older kids, there’s a 200m swim, 3k cycle, and a 1km run to the finish, which sounds more my speed.

So its all for a good cause, but what if you’re not the best swimmer? Well luckily there’s an event for every skill level. Saturday the 11th consists of the lighter events, including the 2 and 1km adult events, as well as the ‘Junior Giants’ for 8-16 year olds. On the following day come the huge 5k Noosa Grand Prix swim, which will consist of some of Australia’s most talented pool and open water swimmers competing over a multi-lap course through the waters of Noosa’s Main Beach, offering competitors a grand prize of $5000. Finally, there’s the 1.5km ‘Social Swim’. This event is a single lap of the Grand Prix course, but is a completely relaxed format and just for fun.

Overall it’s sure to be a great event, with a good cause and a fabulous community spirit.

For those interested in the event, entries are open on their official webpage up on the World Series Swims website, along with a map of each course, as well as more information on the sponsor partners of the event. You can find all of this, and more, here.