Lynn probation officer swims to benefit the Y

MARBLEHEAD – Sea urchins shouldn’t be much of a problem, but when long-distance swimmer Kim Garbarino of Winthrop sets out to swim 24-hours straight in the Marblehead YMCA Lynch/van Otterloo pool this weekend, he’ll have other obstacles to face.The Lynn District Court probation officehas swum the English Channel and is a regular in the Boston Light Swim (he did a 16-mile Boston Light double last year) said one of the biggest challenges will be the constant bouncing off the ends of the pool.”It’s kind of like running the Boston Marathon on a basketball court,” Garbarino said. “In the ocean you can put your head down and keep on moving.”The 24-hour swim (1 p.m. today until 2 p.m. Sunday, accounting for Daylight Savings Time) is all for a good cause. Garbarino has always been passionate about swimming and believes every child should to learn how to swim. The money he raises will fund YMCA swimming lessons for those youngsters whose parents are unable to afford them.Garbarino said he grew up attending the old YMCA on Market Street in Lynn. He recalled how when he was a youngster growing up in the Highlands section of Lynn, he had a good friend whose family moved to Florida when he was in the third or fourth grade. A short time after moving, the boy drowned.Garbarino said he doesn’t know how long he’ll be able to swim hard in the pool, but he’ll be giving it his all because people are donating to the cause.”I’m not going to dog it,” he said. “It will be a legitimate hard swim. I’m going to put work into it.”Garbarino said he start off doing swimming free style for a few hours and they switch to a new side stroke he’s been working on. He’s been training for the swim with three-four hour stretches in the pool.Garbarino will have someone swimming in the lane beside him at all times because people have paid $25 an hour to swim along with him and all 24-hour blocks are sold out.Those who would like to sponsor Garbarino in his swim can do so by going to his fundraising website at http://www.razoo.com/story/Kim-Swims-For-The-Y.