Wayne and Wesley Warwick prepare for Hyde Park swim to support Stroke Association UK

Father and son Gibraltarian swimmers, Wayne and Wesley Warwick, will take on the iconic Swim Serpentine to raise funds for the Stroke Association UK and stroke awareness on the Rock.

Wesley is taking on his longest open water swim to date after suffering a severe ischemic stroke on August 29, 2020, at the age of 25.

Swim Serpentine takes place on September 20 and is part of the prestigious London Marathon Events’ “London Classics” series which will see participants tackle distances ranging from 500 metres to the six-mile “Super Six.”

Wayne and Wesley will be swimming the challenging two-mile course, equivalent to 3,200 metres, which takes place in the historic Serpentine Lake in Hyde Park.

“We’re doing it to raise money for the Stroke Association UK, and more importantly, to raise awareness of stroke in young people and the signs to look out for,” Wayne told the Chronicle.

The duo are keen to promote the FAST message: Face, Arms, Speech, Time, which reminds the public of the importance of seeking immediate medical help at the first signs of stroke.

“F for face. See if there is a drop in the face,” he said.

“A is arms. See if they can lift both arms and if they can put any weight on them to see if there is equal pressure.”

“S for speech. Can they speak or do they slur?”

“T for time because time is important.”

Training for the event has been rigorous, with the swimmers undertaking at least two open water sessions a week and Wesley also hitting the gym twice a week to build up the strength in his left arm. He needs this as Wesley swims with only one arm, after the stroke left him unable to use his right. His left leg does the majority of the kicking too.

Wayne thanked the Gibraltar community for the support they have received and for “rallying behind us.”

In addition, he thanked the Calpe Rowing Club who have allowed the two men to access the water via their premises. This has made a massive difference to Wesley, who needs accessible entry into the water.

Wesley is looking forward to the event overall, especially as it will be a big challenge, but given the colder water temperatures there is some understandable trepidation about this, a feeling his father also shares.

To combat this, both men will be wearing wetsuits on the day.

One aspect that Wayne is looking forward to, is doing the route with his son.

“It’s something for me to share with Wesley that we can do together,” he said.

“It’s important for me.”

“That’s also why we’re doing it, as well as for raising awareness of stroke.”

It is not the first time the family have raised funds or awareness for strokes. In 2020, Wayne and his stepdaughter Sofia Camporese, together with friends, completed a half-marathon distance of 21.1km in aid of the Stroke Association in the UK and raised £15,000.

Two years later, Wayne ran the London Marathon for stroke awareness, which inspired Wesley to set his own challenge – a Round the Rock walk, which he completed in three hours.

Since then, Wesley and Wayne have taken part in the GASA endurance swim, a swimming race in La Linea a few weeks ago and were part of a team that swam around the Rock in June.

Completing Swim Serpentine will mean Wayne has completed the London Classics’ trio, of the London Marathon and the 100-mile Ride London cycling challenge.

They will leave the Rock on Thursday September 18 to enable them to collect their registration in time for the event on the Saturday.

To support the duo and donate, go to: https://2025swimserpentine.enthuse.com/pf/wayne-warwick