Swim for Tomorrow: Two UK Students to Swim English Channel to Protect Rainforests
In a powerful act of youth-led environmental action, two 17-year-old students from Sevenoaks School in the UK are preparing to swim 66 kilometers in a school pool – the full distance of an English Channel crossing – to raise funds for rainforest protection.
Frederik Find and Chengze Duan are the duo behind Swim for Tomorrow, a campaign rooted in friendship, endurance and a deep concern for nature. Supported by international swimwear brand Arena, the initiative combines athletic commitment with a strong environmental message. Inspired by their shared love of swimming and a growing sense of responsibility for the planet, the students aim to raise awareness and funds for Rainforest Trust, one of the world’s most impactful conservation organizations.
The swim will take place at Sevenoaks School on Nov. 8, where Chengze and Frederik will be cheered on by friends and family. Their progress and total distance will be shared throughout the day on their social media channels. Each swimmer will begin with a 25 km target, but every donation will increase the distance – up to 33 km per swimmer and 66 km in total.
“Chengze asked me, why not just swim the full Channel? Well, that’s exactly what we’re doing – just in the school pool. From Dover to France is 33.8 km in a straight line, but we’ll be swimming for around 12 hours, covering about 1,300 laps in a 25-meter pool. One lap at a time. It’s a little crazy … but we can’t wait to get started,” Find said.
From Childhood Memories to Global Action
Chengze’s passion for nature runs deep. He spent seven years of his childhood in Uganda, where he experienced first-hand the beauty and fragility of tropical ecosystems. Chengze, a competitive swimmer since the age of five, brings the athletic discipline and humor that fuel the pair’s determination.
“This isn’t about medals or records,” Duan said. “We’re doing this because we believe our generation has a voice. And we want to use it to protect something bigger than ourselves.”
Their research led them to Rainforest Trust, a global non-profit that has protected more than 55 million acres of rainforest and other tropical habitats through strategic land purchases and partnerships with local communities. Donations go directly toward safeguarding biodiversity hotspots and preserving the habitats of endangered species.
“My childhood was spent trekking through rainforests, forming a deep bond with the natural world and its animals. As time passed, I could see how serious the biodiversity and environmental crisis really was,” Frederik says. ”Extinction rates are reaching higher than 35x the natural rate, and it is predicted that up to 1 million species will be threatened with extinction by 2050.”
A Swim to Inspire Action
The Swim for Tomorrow campaign is more than a fundraiser. Frederik and Chengze aim to inspire everyone to take action, in whatever way they can.
“This is our way of a call to action,” Frederik says. “We’re not activists or experts. We’re two students who care, and we’re using what we know – swimming – to help make a difference.”
Event Summary
What: 66 km charity swim to raise funds for the Rainforest Trust
Who: Frederik Find and Chengze Duan, students at Sevenoaks School
When: Saturday, 8 November 2025
Where: Sevenoaks School pool, Kent, United Kingdom
Sponsor: Arena Swimwear
Donations: www.swimfortomorrow.com
— The above press release was posted by Swimming World in conjunction with Swim for Tomorrow. For press releases and advertising inquiries please contact Advertising@SwimmingWorld.com.
