A young TeamBath swimmer has launched his own fundraising campaign to raise money for charity in memory of a teenage cancer victim.
 
Thirteen-year-old Otto Putland was so moved by the story of a teenage boy and his battle with cancer that he has decided to dedicate the next 17 months of his life to raising cash for Teenage Cancer Trust Laurie Engel Fund.
 
The fund was set up in memory of Laurie Engel - a boy Otto never met - who died of cancer aged just 13, in 2005.
 
Otto has launched ‘Otto’s Challenge’ and is writing to swimming clubs around the country challenging them to raise cash for the fund. TeamBath Swimming Club is among clubs that have taken up the challenge.
 
Otto has a 17-month fundraising deadline, which is particularly significant as this is how long Laurie endured treatment for his cancer.
 
Among Otto’s fundraising efforts, he is collecting money at the TeamBath Grand Prix at the University of Bath’s Sports Training Village this weekend. It gets underway today (Friday 1st December) and concludes on Sunday (3rd December).
 
Otto, who travels from his home at Hereford to Bath each weekend to train at the University of Bath’s Sports Training Village, has already raised thousands of pounds for the charity.
 
He has also won the support of elite swimmers, including Paralympian Marc Woods, who had one of his legs amputated below the knee after being diagnosed with cancer aged 17.
 
Otto has received support from TeamBath Olympian Darren Mew, silver medallist in the 50m breaststroke at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games, as well as Steve Parry, 200m butterfly bronze medallist at the Athens 2004 Olympic Games, and Alex Scotcher, a member of England’s gold medal-winning 4×200m freestyle relay quartet at the Melbourne 2006 Commonwealth Games.
 
Otto said: “I read an article about Laurie on the internet and the parallels between my own life and his really quite struck me. Laurie lived near Hereford and like me, he had an enormous passion for sport and poetry. We also both had an adopted younger sister.
 
“Although the challenge is aimed at swimmers, I’m sure there are lots of ways that other people and businesses could help,” he added.
 
Otto paints a number ‘6’ on his arm at every swimming meet he attends to denote the number of teenagers in the UK who are diagnosed with cancer every day and also collects funds from competitors and spectators.
 
A promising young butterfly and individual medley swimmer, Otto has recently been included in British Swimming’s Talent ID programme. He is coached in Bath by TeamBath Swimming Club coaches Mark Skimming and John Wood, and is also a member of the City of Hereford Swimming Club.
 
The money Otto raises will go to the Teenage Cancer Trust Laurie Engel Fund, which is working to raise funds for a unit for teenagers with cancer at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, where Laurie was treated.
 
The swimming clubs that raise the money money for Otto’s Challenge will receive prizes of memorabilia signed by some of Britain’s top swimmers.
 
Further information about the Teenager Cancer Trust can be found at www.teenagecancertrust.org <http://www.teenagecancertrust.org> , while the Laurie Engel Fund website can be found at  www.laurieengelfund.org <http://www.laurieengelfund.org>
 
Anyone who would like to help support Otto’s charity effort can contact him by email at ottoschallenge@btinternet.com
 
The University of Bath has one of the leading university sports departments in the UK. Under its TeamBath brand, its success is based on the expertise and dedication of staff, and its excellent facilities, used by the community and Olympic medal winners alike.
 
 
Members of the media who require further information can contact the TeamBath Press Office at Matchtight Ltd on (01225) 383518 or see the TeamBath website at www.teambath.com