The swim first started back in 2004 when two of the organisers, Tom Kean and Jeremy Laming, decided their backs had finally had enough of rowing and that it might be nice to swim the Henley Regatta course. So they could do this safely and without disrupting the rowing community at a busy time of the year, dawn was decided as the best time of day to do it, and that Jeremy’s old rowing club (Upper Thames) was the best place to meet.
Once they got over the shock of first light being 0400, the swim was unlike any they had done before. Thanks partly to some amazing photos and lots of talking, the following year a group of approximately 20 people assembled to do the swim at the same time. Year-on-year the swim continued to grow until the numbers became so great that something had to be done; and so in 2008 it became ‘official’. Now known as the Henley Classic, this unique event attracts competitors from all over the world, and a number of world class athletes regularly compete (Richard Stannard, Greg Whyte, Graham Bell, Karen Pickering and Janine Belton to name but a few).
In 2011, Tom and Jeremy expanded their range of swims, which now include the Henley Mile, the Bridge To Bridge and the Queenford Relays – a new concept involving relays and team pursuits.
Given the immediate success of these new events, the Henley Swim founders Tom and Jeremy, whilst still involved in the running of Henley Swim in their ‘spare time’, have now taken on Georgina Tomkins, as Event Operations and Business Development Manager.