She will be supported by her family, including her older brother Elijah, 21, who also plans to swim 62km, and her friends and teachers at the high school.
As a former competitive swimmer and now lifeguard/swimming instructor at MainPower Amberley Pool, Ruby is no stranger to churning out the kilometres training for competitions.
She says this is the first time she has undertaken anything so big, but believes the Coastguard is a good community cause to support, and she loves swimming, plus it’s a fun event to be part of.
As of July 17, Ruby had raised $475 of her MainPower Amberley Pool team's $800 total. At the halfway mark of The Big Swim, the team had raised 33 per cent of their $2400 goal.
The Big Swim is a nationwide fundraiser for Coastguard Tautiaki Moana.
Coastguard invited participants to get fit, have fun and raise money to keep Kiwis safe on the water, whatever their waka.
Over 1200 swimmers have registered to swim lengths of their local pools in July as part of the national sponsored swimming challenge, choosing five, 10 or 20km distances to swim.
Joining Ruby in the pool is fellow Amberley lifeguard Anne Frankland who has set 10km as her swimming target.
The pair are using the Dudley Park Aquatic Centre pool because the Amberley Pool is closed for winter.
Anne says it is a good cause to support as it helps to keep people safe as they enjoy the waters of New Zealand.
Coastguard Tautiaki Moana senior communications adviser Ben Parsons says it is New Zealand’s primary water safety, rescue and education organisation.
‘‘We are the people Kiwis turn to for help, advice or assistance. And as a charity, we're dependent on the generosity of people like Ruby and Anne who are taking part in the Big Swim so that we can continue our lifesaving work.’’
- To sponsor Ruby's Big Swim, go to bigswim.org.nz/t/mainpower-amberley-pool
