The FunSwimShop World Bog Snorkelling Championships

Dame Julia Galvin

We're 'flushed' with success and back on solid ground following the FunSwimShop World Bog Snorkelling Championships in Llanwrtyd Wells on Sunday 29th August. Phillip Madden and I actually took part and brought World Championship Medals back to Buckinghamshire! There is even a video of our medal winning performances!

Phill 'The Medal' Madden

To compete in this wacky Welsh sport you must don the essential mask, snorkel and flippers and complete two consecutive lengths of a 60 yard bog trench using flipper power alone. Fancy dress is optional but strongly encouraged as this is the real highlight of the day.

The serious competitors produced new World Record times with Dan Morgan becoming the Male World Champion and Dineka Maguire taking the Ladies title. The fancy dress entries were so creative this year with notable entries including a pantomime horse, water dragons, a dalek and a rather hairy Snow White! The ultimate winner had to be two ladies dressed as a pantomime horse for the effort and ingenuity involved in making their own costume complete with snorkel holes built in to the horse’s head and rear end! Well done to Anne-Marie Beresford Webb and Eva Walters.

Ellie and Arrun Jones

The event is very popular with fundraisers and the day kicked off with Ellie (14) and Arrun (9) Jones from Abergavenny each snorkelling two lengths of the bog to raise money for Ty Hafan Children's Hospice. They don't have a JustGiving page so if you would like to support these fantastic kids please call 07811482832. When I look at their photo I feel quite ashamed of myself for putting on a full length wetsuit before I could be coaxed into the bog. Ellie and Arrun, I promise to do better next year.

Ireland’s Julia Galvin is a legendary figure on the Bog Snorkelling Circuit and she had just been bestowed the title of Dame Julia Galvin by the Hutt River Province, Western Australia for representing and promoting the Principality at International Novelty Sports.

We had the most amazing weekend in Wales and met some wonderful people. It is hard to believe Sheelagh Tompkins and everyone at Green Events are all volunteers and have done this for 25 years simply for the reward of bringing visitors to their beautiful town. For the funniest August Bank Holiday weekend ever, we can highly recommend a visit to the World Bog Snorkelling Championships.