Oliver Mangion, who on 2 August completed a two-kilometre swim at Razzett tal-Hbiberija indoor pool in 57 minutes and 10 seconds, will be attempting what some might deem an impossible challenge on Friday.

He will in fact attempt a three-kilometre swim. On the day Oliver will show that with strong will, courage and above all, love, nothing is impossible.

Of course any good, well-trained swimmer can do this feat, but what makes this a real challenge is the fact that Oliver is an 11-year-old swimmer with a disability.

Oliver Mangion, a regular member of Razzett tal-Hbiberija, was born with severe deformities on all four limbs and has since birth undergone countless reconstructive surgical procedures. His disability is an extremely rare chromosome abnormality and only one other boy, living in Portugal, is known to have the same condition.

Asked why he was doing this, Oliver said he wanted to help Razzett tal-Hbiberija raise money for financial support, increase awareness of the services offered, and hopefully encourage all those persons who have a disability to do sports. The razzett believes and focuses on the ability of the person and not on the disability.

Anyone who would like to support Razzett tal-Hbiberija can send an SMS to 5061-7359 to donate Lm1, 5061-8080 to donate Lm2, and 5061-8926 to donate Lm3.

Everyone is invited to witness the event at the Razzett tal- Hbiberija on Friday from 4.30pm. The challenge will take about 90 minutes.