The Light Fund relay swimmers are “euphoric, exhausted and completely humbled” this afternoon, with both teams having safely reached French soil having begun their epic challenge to swim the English Channel around 11pm last night (29 June).
Team Optimist (Ian Down (captain), Eion Wallace, Katie Price, Jason Goonery, Mark Bezodis, Kevin Langstaff and reserve Tasmyn Knight) and Team High Hopes (Stephen Gould (captain), Mark Kingston, Rhys Fleming, Anna Hewitt, Anne Bradford, Simon Gresswell and reserve Terry Lamb) battled severe sea sickness due to extreme swells during the challenge.
Rhys Fleming was the first swimmer to touch French soil in 14 hours and 56 minutes. Team Optimist reached French soil in 15 hours 24 minutes.
Stephen Gould commented: “An incredible achievement against all the odds, very tough, extreme weather conditions, a true whole team effort, where determination and tenacity triumphed at the end of the day. We experienced the Channel in its raw brutality and we are euphoric, exhausted and completely humbled to get both teams to France.”
The amount raised for The Light Fund via JustGiving currently stands at over £202,000.
You can donate by clicking here.
A full report on the challenge will follow on LicensingSource.net, but for now you can check out some photos below.
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