Swim to Fight Cancer and Giathlon ’15 Charity Sports Events Held in the Netherlands

The inaugural Swim to Fight Cancer event took place in Nieuwegein on 12 September. Swimmers followed a two‑kilometre loop through Vreeswijk, with children covering a 550‑metre distance. Safety was overseen by the Rescue Brigade Nieuwegein, and participants wore numbered caps and provided floatation devices. Sixty‑seven swimmers had registered by the 7 September deadline, and the organisers reported roughly a thousand donations to support cancer research.

On 13 December, Dordrecht hosted Giathlon ’15, the largest indoor triathlon in Europe. Competitors swam, cycled and ran within set time limits (10 minutes swimming, 30 minutes cycling, 20 minutes running) to accumulate the greatest possible distance. The event was created to raise awareness and funds for disabled athletes, with backing from paratriathlon champion Saskia van den Ouden, Paralympic snowboarder Bibian Mentel and football figure Guus Hiddink, and proceeds directed to the Fonds Gehandicaptensport.