Two girls from Hastings assist increase £28k in Channel charity swim

Two associates have swum the English Channel, serving to to lift £28k for swimming classes for deprived youngsters.

Clare Kedwell, 50, and Sarah Branson, 53, from Hastings, braved freezing water, robust tides, jellyfish and exhaustion to cross from Dover’s Samphire Hoe to Cap Gris-Nez in France earlier this month.

The pair made the gruelling 22-mile (35.4km) journey as a part of two relay groups – Ms Kedwell’s group Blue Tide reaching its vacation spot in 16 hours and quarter-hour, whereas Ms Branson’s Riptide Racers clocked in at 17 hours and 34 minutes.

It was an particularly tough process for Ms Branson, who admitted that 12 months in the past she might barely swim a size of her native swimming pool.

“I tore my meniscus a few years ago and wanted to show that, however old and broken, we can do hard things,” she stated.

“Swimming the Channel is not just about the physical challenge, but the mental belief that you can do this.

Ms Kedwell added: “When our households met us again at Dover, it was a giant emotional second.

“Looking out to sea and realising I swam that gave me a huge sense of pride.”

Each swimmer took on one-hour stints of their groups, plunging into darkish, unpredictable waters from their aptly named help boat, High Hopes.

Their eventual success was on account of months of dedication, early morning sea dips, endurance coaching and ice-cold plunges.

The pair added that their friendship impressed them each to maintain going.

The cash raised to date will go to SwimTayka, a charity offering free swimming classes and environmental training to underprivileged youngsters residing alongside the world’s rivers, lakes and coasts.