World Rivers Day 2025
Sunday 29th September is World Rivers Day, a global celebration of the world’s waterways. It’s about raising awareness of the importance of looking after our rivers, canals and streams and the role they play in our communities, environment and everyday lives.
At Rivers, our name isn’t just a catchy title, it’s actually inspired by where our centres are based. Every one of our centres is right next to a river or canal. From the Avon running through Evesham and Pershore, to the the canal in Droitwich, water is part of our surroundings every single day. That’s why we wanted to acknowledge the day with something a little bit fun, while also highlighting an important message.
The Gym Challenge
To mark the occasion, we’ll be running a rowing machine challenge in each of our gyms. The challenge is simple:
How far can you row in 2 minutes?
Come along, give it your best effort and see where you land on the leaderboard. It’s a fun way to get involved and celebrate the theme of rivers in a fitness focused way.
Why It Matters
World Rivers Day isn’t just about recognising these waterways, it’s also about looking after them. Rivers and canals provide vital habitats, help with flood management and are places where we walk, relax and exercise. By raising awareness, we can all do our bit to keep them clean and safe.
Water Safety Reminder
It’s worth remembering too: while rivers and canals may look inviting, they can be extremely dangerous to swim in. Hidden currents, cold water shock and underwater hazards mean it’s never truly safe. That’s why our advice is simple… pools are safer to swim in, stick to the leisure centre, not the river!
Our lifeguards are fully trained, our water is monitored and our pools are the perfect environment to build confidence, get fit or just enjoy a safe swim.
But beyond safety, our pools are also a community space. Whether it’s family swim sessions, kids learning to swim in our lessons or members clocking their regular lengths, the pools bring people together in a way that rivers and canals can’t. It’s about fitness, fun and connection (with peace of mind too!).
And that really reflects the spirit of World Rivers Day, too. Bringing people together around water in a positive way. Just as the rivers and canals around us are part of the fabric of our local towns, our pools are part of daily life for so many of our members.
So, while we encourage everyone to enjoy the rowing challenge and take a moment to reflect on the importance of our rivers and canals, we also want to celebrate the safe, supportive spaces we provide indoors. Whether you’re in the gym, on the courts or in the pool, you’re still part of the Rivers community, and that’s something worth celebrating this World Rivers Day.
