Deborah's daring mission to swim English Channel after conquering the Solent

Deborah Herridge swam from Stokes Bay, Gosport to the Isle of Wight last year, and is plotting to complete her marathon swim in September 2017.

To get to that stage, Deborah will have to complete a six-hour qualifying swim which will determine whether she will be physically able to tackle the channel.

Her training involves a weekly swim in a pool as well as in the sea to keep herself acclimatised until the water warms up again. She will then gradually increase her distances in the sea around April or May.

Deborah said: ‘I feel positive, I’m really looking forward to it. I’ve got a year to get ready’.

The duration of Deborah’s swim, which will raise money for five charities close to her heart, will depend largely on the weather on the day, as choppy conditions could add hours to her time.

‘On a calm day it could take around 13 to 15 hours’, Deborah added, saying that she would be happy with 15 or 16 hours.

Deborah is hoping to raise a grand total of £10,000 for The Oakley Waterman Caravan Foundation, The Liverpool Heart and Chest Hospital, Canine Partners, Alzheimer’s Research UK and Macmillan Cancer Support.

Visitors to her Justgiving page can select which charity they would like to donate to or instead split the amount between all of them.
To donate, go to justgiving.com/teams/DeborahsEnglishChannelSwim