Campbell River boy completes 37 polar bear swims in a row for charity

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WATCH: Eleven-year-old Sylas Thompson began his daily polar bear swims at Tyee Spit Feb. 1. 

With a large crowd of supporters and other swimmers, 11-year-old Sylas Thompson took his last daily dip Friday off Tyee Spit.

He’s been doing it every day since Feb.1 and says it’s like jumping into a frozen backyard swimming pool. He was inspired to do it last October when his grandmother told him about two local charities, The Campbell River Women’s Resource Centre and Grassroots Kind Hearts, a local group that feeds the homeless. Both were having funding issues.

“I don’t get anything out of it but it makes me feel good that I’m doing something, giving back to the community,” said Sylas moments before his last swim.

He said he would do it every day until he raised $30,000 to split between the two charities. He’s now surpassed that at $35,000 and will still raise more money because he has a few pre-arranged swims for charity still to come.

For 37 days, he’s been inspiring people young and old.

“We get caught up in emotions too quickly and forget about what’s truly important and that’s to give back,” said supporter Shawn Decaire. “It’s not what we take from this world but it’s what we give back and this young man at such a young age has given back to so many people.”

Thompson and a large group of supporters will be back on the spit March 30 to present cheques to the two charities.

His GoFundMe page can be found here.

Dean StoltzDean Stoltz

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