THREE grandmothers plan to swim the distance from Dover to Calais and back in a swimming pool for charity.
Diana Burges, 70, of Tutts Close, Dorking, is taking on the challenge in aid of Aspire, which supports people with spinal cord injuries, along with her sister Hazel Macartney, 67 and friend Daphne Coward, 79.
The trio hope to complete 44 miles between them over 12 weeks in Dorking Sports Centre's 25m pool.
Mrs Burges, a grandmother of three, said: "Before starting this challenge I was swimming for about 30 minutes once a week to keep fit and doing 30 to 35 lengths.
"In a team of three we thought we could do the equivalent of the Channel between us.
"I am now swimming for an at least an hour and doing 64 lengths a week, which is a mile.
"So I am now aiming to personally swim 11 miles in the 12 weeks, which would get me get halfway across the Channel.
"My younger sister Hazel is a stronger swimmer than me and had a yen to swim the Channel in her younger days.
"She is swimming 128 lengths, or two miles, each week and having done 16.5 miles so far she is on target to swim 22 miles by December 2, which is equivalent to swimming right across the Channel. Not bad for a 67-year-old grandmother of five."
Mrs Burges says she was inspired to take on the challenge by two people close to her who have suffered spinal cord injuries, one of whom is her sister Hazel's husband, Colin.
The group were on holiday in the Bay of Naples for the first week of the challenge, so they did their first few lengths of the challenge in the hotel pool.
Mrs Coward, 79, of Rothes Road, a former swimming instructor, was forced to take a break in September when she fell ill with shingles.
But she is now fit again and is hoping to complete her quota of 11 miles.
"I am finding it extremely hard because swimming is a skill and unless you keep it up you lose it," she said. "I go to the pool early in the morning – I need the room because I am a backstroke swimmer.
"I am one of the few people left who still do the old English backstroke."
To donate, visit www.justgiving.com/DianaBurges
