Jenny Graham, a Tooting resident, will be swimming the Channel to France to raise money for charity.

Jenny, from Northern Ireland, decided to take on this challenge as she’s already completed the journey by plane, boat, Eurostar, Eurotunnel and bike! She is currently spending all her time at Tooting Bec Lido and Dover Port in training for this adventure.

She will be raising money for Aspire, which provides practical help to people who have been paralysed by Spinal Cord Injury, supporting them from injury to independence. You can sponsor Jenny at https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Jenny-Graham84 and follow her on Instagram for live updates on her training.

Jenny’s Channel Challenge by numbers…

• 10% of people attempting the Channel succeed; the crossing is known as “the Everest of open-water swimming” (hypothermia and bad weather accounts for a large percentage of the unsuccessful attempts).
• 976 – the number of relay teams to have EVER completed the Channel since 1895, so when Jenny’s team complete it, they’ll be 1 of under 1000 victorious swim teams.
• 22 miles – the shortest "crow flies" distance between England and France.
• 30 miles – the average swim distance given the fact you swim back on yourself many times due to the tides.
• 17 hours – the average length of time it takes to get to France.
• 28 hours – the longest time to cross the Channel thanks to the unfavourable tide.
• 4 hours swimming in the dark of night.
• 5 team mates, a captain and a judge aboard our tug boat
• 1000's of jellyfish, sewage, seaweed, floating debris and waves encountered en route.
• 600 merchant ships and tankers passed; the Channel is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world.
• 15 degrees –  the temperature of the sea.
• 8 months of training.
• 30% of swimmers are female.
• 3 intensive training camps in Dover swimming hours on end in the icy cold and polluted port waters.
• 4 items legally required for the swim; swimsuit, hat, goggles and passport.
• 100's of bottles of prosecco Jenny has had to decline in favour of training.
• 4 minutes –  the time legally allowed on the beach in France before returning to England.
• 28th August at 2am –  the time Jenny starts her journey to France in the pitch black!