A Biddulph woman who was part of a team that swam the English Channel is now preparing to take on a new charity swimathon at Biddulph Leisure Centre.

Mum of four Jennie Cook was part of a relay team who swam the 21 miles from England to France back in September - a challenging feat that took them just over 14 hours.

The swim raised an amazing £40,000 for charity, but her fundraising efforts haven't stopped there as she's now preparing to take part in the charity swimathon in March, organised by Congleton Rotary Club.

Teams of up to six swimmers are in the water for 55 minutes and the lengths that they swim are recorded for their sponsorship efforts. The Rotary Club collects the sponsorship money and returns 50% of it to a charity of the swimmers' choice.

We spoke to Jennie more about her Channel swim as well as her upcoming challenge...

Thanks for talking to us about your swimathon! How long have you been swimming and what do you love about it? "I have been swimming for 32 years. I just love being in or near the water no matter where it is. I love how once you're in the water it's as if you've left the world, anything could be happening but nothing matters. It's not an easy sport to achieve in so you have to love it to keep at it for so long."

Tell me a about your English Channel swim - how did the idea come about, what was it like and how challenging was it?

"I had been looking for a relay team for a while with no luck, I then tried to put my own together but couldn't find a pilot until 2/3 years in advance and then I saw a Facebook post asking for swimmers to join a channel relay to raise money for the charity Cosmic and I emailed the contact.

"I didn't hear anything for a while and then I received a response and it went from there. It was an amazing experience that will stay with me forever but I can't say I'd do it again. The cold was a big issue for me, I was in constant pain whilst swimming due to the temperature.

"I knew this would be the most challenging factor for me but you can't fully realise this until you're in it. The distance, waves, jellyfish, and staying with the boat wasn't a problem, I enjoy swimming in choppy conditions, I think this adds some excitement and I love sea swimming, but anything else I consider doing in the future needs to be a little warmer."

How does it feel to have raised so much for a good cause? "The charity is called Cosmic. They raise money for babies and children in intensive care. They provide training for staff, accommodation for parents, equipment that the NHS can't afford. It's an amazing charity. The three relay teams that completed the channel swim this year raised over £40,000. It's definitely been the biggest charity event I've ever been involved in."

Have you been keeping up your swimming training for the upcoming swimathon and are you feeling confident after completing such a challenging swim last year?

"Yes, I'm still swimming and I don't think anything I do now will be as challenging as that was."

What charity will you be raising funds for this time? Do you have any goals for how much you would like to raise, and how can people donate? "My focus has moved closer to home this time. My swim club Biddulph Amateur Swimming Club has lost members during the pandemic and has struggled to recruit new swimmers due to lessons being halted and the waiting lists for lessons are sometimes up to two years so I am raising money to help to keep the club financially viable. "It would be terrible to lose another swimming club when we've already lost Dane's in Congleton last year and over 2,000 pools in the U.K. could be shut down by 2030. Swimming is not only a sport it's a life saving skill and it's worrying how many children can't swim. "In fact 3.4 million children in England cannot swim and one in three adults cannot swim 25m. By keeping the swimming clubs operating we're contributing to keeping our local pools open and providing a gateway to competitive swimming once children move on from their lessons.

I don't have a specific target this time but any sponsorship will be greatly appreciated."

If you would like to donate then please CLICK HERE.

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