A Sough woman has completed a cross-channel swim from England to France as part of a team of six.
Mum-of-two Sam Plum (46), of Colne Road, joined a team of outdoor swimming enthusiast friends for the charity challenge to swim from Dover’s Shakespeare Beach to Wissant in France.
Setting off at 5-35am, the group took the plunge with a support boat and relayed to complete the crossing in an impressive time of 14 hours and one minute.
This was ahead of the estimated time of 15 to 16 hours the group had set themselves and against a backdrop of swelled seas due to stormy weather continually forcing the group off course and battles against a turning tide.
Sam, who swam for three hours in total, said: “The challenge for me was a fear of jellyfish as I had been stung in the face by one in training and a bit of a fear of being in open sea, not being able to see land, which was a bit weird.
“I spent three hours swimming but we worked well as a team. It was great feeling to reach France. I think we were so full of adrenaline we didn’t feel tired.
“I got into outdoor swimming about three years ago and did the Great North Swim at Windermere and its gone from there really.
“About 18 months ago we were all together and came up with the idea for the cross channel swim. I had seen Jo Blackburn from Barnoldswick had done it. She was really supportive so we went ahead and decided to do it.”
The group will split money raised between Pendleside Hospice, Rossendale Hospice and Derian House. Visit www.justgiving.com/teams/pennineswimmerschannelrelay to donate.
