One month from now, on 23 July, about 1,500 intrepid participants will swim 6.5km (4 miles) from Asia to Europe down Istanbul’s Bosphorus Strait – one of the most iconic open water swimming events in the world.

I’ll be one of these enthusiasts, along with several Freedom Fund colleagues and supporters. We’ve formed a team, Swim for Freedom, to make this swim about something bigger: fighting modern slavery. Over the coming month, we’ll be raising money to help the Freedom Fund liberate individuals and dismantle the systems that allow slavery to persist.

This is a cause we all care deeply about. Modern slavery still gets too little attention, given it still traps an estimated 46 million people around the world. What better way to raise money and awareness for the movement to end modern slavery than to participate in an adventure of a lifetime!

The ambitious swim takes about anywhere between one to two hours to complete, across the Bosphorus Strait which connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara, and eventually the Mediterranean. The strait is among the world’s busiest shipping lanes. Fortunately, it will be closed to shipping on the day of the swim. Swimmers will begin on the Asian side of Istanbul and arrive north of the Bosphorus bridge, on the European side of the city.

We believe we can break the back of modern slavery – but we need your help. We’ve set up a team fundraising page, and each team member has set a personal goal for the swim. If you’re a friend, family member, or colleague of one of our team members, please donate to their personal pages to help them reach their goals!

We’re committed to fighting modern slavery, and working together, we can end it.

Pictured: Alan McCormick prepares for an ambitious swim!

Alan McCormick is Managing Director at Legatum and Chair of the Freedom Fund.