Michael Cunningham from Llandeilo Graban has his sights on his next fundraising swim challenge next year after completing a tough swim event earlier this summer.

Preparations are already underway for Michael, as his next challenge the Hurly Burly has been set.

Michael will be taking on the Hurly Burly on September 13, 2026, an exhilarating swim through the breathtaking Mawddach Estuary in Snowdonia.

He will be raising money for the organisers of the event, Level Water. Level Water use the power of swimming to improve lives for children with disabilities. They believe everyone should have the opportunity to learn to swim and fall in love with the water. Every £15 raised by the charity helps a child into the water.

A spokesperson for Level Water described the Hurly Burly swim. They said: “Set in North Wales on the edge of Snowdonia, this is one of the most beautifully wild river swims you’ll find. It starts on the sandy beach of Barmouth and takes swimmers underneath Barmouth Bridge, a mile and a half wide iconic railway bridge. The first part of the swim is up the wide and sandy estuary with mountains on either side, and then it’s through ‘the narrows’ and into a more sheltered part of the estuary. Every time you look up, you are faced with the beautiful mountains of Snowdonia.

“The whole swim takes place on a fast incoming tide that works like a bore to assist your swim. Past the narrows the water speeds up further, and the landscape becomes pastoral, with the banks closer to you. The fastest swimmers complete 10km in around an hour, and no more than two hours for the leisurely amongst us.”

On Sunday, 13 July 2025, Michael completed the Bantham Boomerang Swim, also organised by Level Water, where he raised £700. This time around, Michael has set a target of raising £1,000 for Level Water.

He will be hoping for a smoother swim this time around after suffering wetsuit chaffe during the Bantham Boomerang and having to remove his wetsuit, resulting in a chilly second half of the swim.

He has since upgraded his kit, and spoke about the prospect of his next challenge. He told The Brecon & Radnor Express: “I’m diving back in! This time for a massive swim in Wales, my homeland!

“Out into the open sea, where the current can whip you along at 10 km/h. It’s going to be wild! I’ll be keeping my eye on the buoy, and probably yelling at it a bit, while swimming like mad to get back to shore.

“There’ll be hundreds of swimmers, 11 months of training ahead, and a brand new wetsuit actually designed for this kind of madness.

“I’m doing it because I absolutely love swimming, and I want more kids, especially those with disabilities, to get the chance to discover that same joy in the water.”

Michael has also said if anyone wants to swim to support him or even join him for a swim in the Wye, in Spring and Summer to contact him via @NaturemanUK or via the Just giving page.

If you would like to donate to Michael’s fundraiser for Level Water, please go to: https://www.justgiving.com/page/mike-9trees-cunningham-3