Ten-year-old Jake Vella and ultra-triathlete Fabio Spiteri will be swimming 1.7km from Buġibba to St Paul’s Islands to raise money for the Association for Abandoned Animals. 

Mr Spiteri, who last year became the first Maltese person to complete a triple Ironman event, last week beat his own record in an epic run-swim-run challenge across Malta and Gozo. 

The 45-year-old ran 15km across Gozo, swam 6.3km to Malta, then ran 30km to Birżebbuġa in a new record time of five hours and 36 minutes, battling jellyfish and sizzling temperatures along the way. 

Jake Vella, who suffers from a rare condition called Rapid-onset Obesity with Hypothalamic Dysfunction, Hypoventilation and Autonomic Dysregulation, or ROHHAD, will be undertaking the challenge with Mr Spiteri. Due to his condition, which causes him to gain weight rapidly despite eating healthy and exercising, swimming is the only sport Mr Vella can practice at the moment. A date for the event will be set in the first week of September to factor in the weather conditions. 

“We wanted to do a swim together and the distance between the mainland and St Paul’s Islands is already something Jake clears regularly in the pool,” Mr Spiteri said. 

Both Mr Spiteri and Jake regularly do charity events and the choice of the AAA as a beneficiary was natural, Mr Spiteri said. 

“All shelters run on donations,” he said. 

The AAA is currently housing over 100 dogs. Just this week the sanctuary took in three litters of puppies, one of which passed away in its entirety. 

The remaining two litters were found to be emaciated and infested with worms and fleas. One puppy had to be operated upon urgently as an infected wound had begun to eat away at the creature’s tiny body. 

Donations to the Association for Abandoned Animals can be made by sending an SMS on; 50617350 for €2.33, 50618060 for €4.66, 50618910 for €6.99 and 50619200 for €11.66.