The Splash Dragons are halfway to reaching their target of £11,400.

The group is building up to their ‘Lido Lunacy’ challenge, where they will be collectively swimming the 150 miles from London to Cardiff, in outdoor lidos along the M4 corridor, finishing in Llanishen Reservoir in Cardiff. As well as raising money for Velindre, the team will also be lobbying MPs at the Houses of Parliament and MSs in the Senedd to highlight the plight of cancer service funding in Wales.

They have now confirmed that they will be met by MP David Chadwick at the Houses of Parliament before starting the 150 miles swim and be met by MS Rebecca Philips at The Senedd on the completion of their challenge.

The three Splash Dragons: Karen Davies, Taniya Morris and Fiona Coombs have their eyes set on a 2027 swim challenge in New York City around the Statue of Liberty also. Read the original article here.

Over the past few months, the trio have worked tirelessly in fundraisers as well as training for their swim. They all took part in the 12 hour Dawn til Dusk relay at St Donats where they swam just under 16km, the equivalent of 628 lengths of a 25 metre pool.

Splash Dragon Taniya has swam Coniston End to End (5.25 miles); Green Monster & Blue Monster (2 mile open water swims in Pembrokeshire); and Ullswater end to end (7.5 miles).

In addition, Splash Dragon Karen Davies has competed in a series of Hyrox events with a number of impressive Personal Bests.

Fiona and Karen took part in the Velindre ‘Show Cancer the V’ charity run in Bute Park Cardiff. Splash Dragon Fiona has been training daily in open water in Pembrokeshire whilst managing her targeted therapy treatment for melanoma under the care of Velindre.

Prior to their Lido Lunacy event, the Splash Dragons have three more fundraising events with a Quiz Night at The Gremlin on Friday, August 14, Blues in the Barn at The Welsh Venison Centre on Saturday, 22 August, and The final Summer Soundbath at The Barn at Brynich on Wednesday, 26 August. Huge auction prizes are available for the Blues in the Barn auction - including holiday stays worth up to £500.

The team has received huge local support from Brecon Chocolates, who have made a Splash Dragons Chocolate medallion and are donating £1 to Velindre for each bar sold, and The Prints of Wales have given them Splash Dragons Hoodies and created their bespoke dry-robes. Going live on their website soon will be a Splash Dragons line of hoodies, t-shirts & hats for purchase - with money from each sale going to Velindre.

Speaking on what’s to come, Splash Dragon Taniya Morris said: "With just a month to go until Lido Lunacy, the nerves are definitely starting to kick in, but so is the excitement. Thanks to the fantastic coaching and support from Dave Tonge at Heathwood Swimming, and the experience we've gained through open water swimming training and events such as Dawn til Dusk, we know we've prepared as well as we possibly can.

“We're delighted that our MP, David Chadwick, will be joining us at the Houses of Parliament to send us on our way before our first swim at Parliament Hill Lido, and that MS Rebecca Phillips will welcome us at the Senedd after our final swim at Llanishen Reservoir. Their support will really help us push the message about raising vital funds for Velindre Cancer Charity and highlighting the urgent need for continued investment in cancer services, so that more people across Wales can access the care and treatment they need when they need it most.”