TWO women from York are planning to swim the English Channel as part of a two person relay first.

Experienced swimmers Judith Kirk and Kristina Peat, whose team name is The Foss & Ouse, are raising money for York Rescue Boat by swimming the Channel this month.

They are aiming to be one of the first 100 teams to complete a two-person Channel relay ever.

The duo have been training hard for the last 18 months with their last training session this week from Whitby beach.

They say the training has been somewhat 'bumpy' with pools and lakes being closed and travel restrictions during the Covid lockdowns, so training turned to weights, yoga, Pilates and bikes. They have been hard at work making up for lost time in the sea, lakes and pools. This final training sessions will try to replicate the real thing and as a Channel swim can take anything between 12 and 20 hours that’s a lot of swimming.

Both Judith and Kristina are experienced long-distance swimmers having completed the length of the three longest lakes in the Lake District (Coniston 5 miles, Ullswater 7.5 miles and Windermere 10.5 mile) and Judith has even swum Windermere both ways , a distance of 21 miles.

Judith said: "We honestly can't remember how this journey began nor who thought up this 'adventure' but I blame Kristina!’ However it started, it’s going to be one big adventure."

Involving their support boat Louise Jane and it’s pilot Andy King, the crew of Judith and Kristina’s husbands as well a Channel Swimming Association Observer on board to ratify the swim. They will be negotiating the busiest shipping lane in the world as well as seaweed and of course jelly fish.

The swim will take place sometime from August 14 onwards depending on the weather and tides.

To support York Rescue Boat justgiving.com/fundraising/foss-and-ouse