Clacton man raising money with River Dart 10k swim

Mr Mahoney, 32, who describes himself as "12th generation Clacton on my mum's side," is attempting the marathon-distance swim to raise funds for Level Water, a charity providing swimming lessons for children with disabilities.

Samuel Mahoney (Image: Public) Having already smashed his initial £1,500 target, Mr Mahoney is now aiming for £2,500 – enough to fund over 160 lessons.

"I don't think money should be a reason that people in the UK aren't learning how to swim, especially if it's as valuable as it is for a disabled person," said Mr Mahoney, who is neurodivergent with autism.

His journey back to the water began last November after a decade away from swimming.

"I've swam my whole life and I stopped in my 20s and I started again in November," he said.

What started as therapeutic exercise has become an obsession – he's currently averaging a kilometre a day as part of his ambitious goal to swim 365 kilometres in 2025.

Mr Mahoney's swimming roots run deep in Clacton waters.

Sam Mahoney in training (Image: Public) He learned at Valley Farm swimming pool before joining the Clacton Sharks club as a teenager.

"But I never really did long distance back then. You know, you learn how to swim very fast for a short distance."

Now swimming has become his meditation.

"Three times a week, it feels like meditation," he said.

This personal connection drives his fundraising passion.

He added: "Swimming was a very big part of my childhood. I didn't know it at the time, but it was because of that really, and so I really understand the connection between how freeing and liberating swimming can be."

The head of food and farming for Field and Flour has been pushing his limits all year.

His biggest training weeks have reached 18 kilometres, and he's swum everywhere from Scotland's lochs to Spanish seas, including Cambridge's Jesus Green Lido – the longest pool in the UK at 300 feet.

Sam during his swim to raise funds (Image: Public) He said: "I have also swam along the Clacton seafront from Clacton to Holland for this journey."

Mr Mahoney acknowledges it's been a rough training getting himself prepared for the 10k, with ear-aches and the cold but he has kept going.

But his biggest dream extends beyond the River Dart.

"I want to be the first person from Clacton to swim the channel before I turn 35. That's my big goal," he said.

"No one from Clacton's ever done it... I'd be really cool to put Clacton on the map for a good reason."

Though he now lives in East London, Mr Mahoney remains deeply connected to his roots. "I live in East London, but I'll always be from Clacton," he says, with family still in the town and regular visits home.

As he prepares for his 10K challenge, Mr Mahoney's mission is simple. He said: "Every £15 that I fundraise is another lesson. So I'm trying to hit £2,500 and really make a difference."