AMY Hodson is known for her determination and strong spirit; at just 12 years old, Amy will dive in again for charity, raising funds for the Starlight Foundation in her third ‘Super Swim Challenge’ setting herself a goal to swim 30 kilometres in the month of February.
Amy chose to join the biggest national charity swim and become a ‘Super Swim Hero’ in an effort to make a difference in the lives of sick kids and their families.
The Starlight Super Swim Challenge encourages those of any age to dive in and go the distance because any effort will help bring a splash of happiness to the lives of those in need.
Amy’s inspiration has come from her own personal experience, she was born with a rare cataract on the right side and underwent surgery at only eight weeks old and has no vision in her right eye.
Since then, she spent many years at the Royal Children’s Hospital for appointments and further surgeries due to her cataract.
Despite her own challenges, she wanted to make a difference and there was no better way than to combine her love for swimming with her instinctive impulse to help others.
With February just around the corner, Amy began planning her fundraiser and has already received great community support with Michael from the Cape Tavern willingly arranging a ‘Summer Raffle’ and generously donating the $815 proceeds; together the community helped Amy reach $4000 by the start of January.
She has set an ambitious goal this year – 30 kilometres of swimming in 28 days. To some it would seem impossible, but Amy’s determination will help her through each lap bringing her closer to the finish line.
Amy’s mum Robyn shared that it is in Amy’s nature to help others and in her third year of fundraising Amy continues to remind herself why she’s taken on this challenge; remembering that it’s for not only the children who are patients but for their siblings and parents too.
On February 1, Amy will dive in, tracking every swim both at home and at the YMCA Wonthaggi. The YMCA team have also shown great support for Amy’s fundraiser, providing her with a free two-month membership to help her train and track her swims. Amy is also a part of the state development squad with South Gippsland Bass Swimming Club (SGB), where she will track each training session for the month of February.
“February will be a big month for Amy, she’s starting high school and squad training is tapered down with SGB competitions approaching, which means she has a lot to focus on and extra kilometres to make up in the pool.”
Despite a big start to 2025, Amy is determined to swim 30 kilometres and has set herself a personal goal to get her first state qualifying time.
To help Amy accomplish her 2025 goal, visit superswim.org.au/a-hodson
