A trainee GP from West Ealing who is diagnosed with a heart condition took to the sea with 1,200 other swimmers to complete the 2024 Bournemouth Pier to Pier Swim and has helped the British Heart Foundation (BHF) to raise £288,000 from it.
Maria Gorniok, 25, swam 1.4 miles between Boscombe and Bournemouth Pier and raised £700 herself by taking on the challenge with her dad Julian Gorniok.
Ms Gorniok was diagnosed with Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome after initially being told her arrhythmia was due to anxiety. She said: “The heart condition is something I was born with, but it was only discovered in 2021. I had to undergo heart ablation surgery, which was scary, but I’m now completely fine, and doing this swim with my dad has been a lovely way to celebrate.”
Since it was first held in 1992, more than 34,000 people have taken part in the BHF’s Pier to Pier swim.
Kate Sparks, senior events manager at the BHF added: “It’s fantastic to see Maria’s passion and determination in helping us fund lifesaving research. Without the support of people like Maria, we wouldn’t be able to help revolutionise treatments and transform the lives of millions of people living with heart and circulatory diseases in the UK.”
Ms Sparks added: “For those who are feeling inspired, entries are now open for next year’s Bournemouth Pier to Pier Swim, so we’d urge everyone to take the plunge now to help us fund vital research to save and improve more lives.”
To find out more about Bournemouth Pier to Pier 2025, click here.
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