By Isabella P, Year 11 Journalist Leader

This week, we spoke to Alexandra D in Year 11 about her experience swimming the channel for charity. When it comes to open water swimming, the English Channel is one of the ultimate tests even when part of a relay team and after 16 hours and 16 minutes, they made it to France! Alexandra, when asked to describe the experience as whole in three words, said, “incredible, jellyfish, terrifying.”

She was part of a team of 6 swimmers to raise money for the charity COSMIC. The cause was partially important to her as in 2021, at the age of 13, she was admitted to St Mary’s ICU after catching Covid. She absolutely smashed her fundraising goal, raising over £6,000 for St Mary’s!

“It was actually incredible, I didn’t know how many people would support it and it was absolutely amazing to raise that much!”

After being delayed for weeks over the summer, the conditions were finally good enough to make the crossing. Alex found out about the swim’s timing right before her school photo on the first day back when her tutor told her, “you’re swimming tomorrow.” Alex recalls, “it was actually really crazy – right before my year 11 school photo, my form tutor came up to me and said you’re swimming the Channel tomorrow.” She says it was “really overwhelming but [she] was also really ready to get it done as the anticipation had been building all summer.”

When asked what the biggest challenge was Alex said, “definitely the bit where I swam through jellyfish and found out I get very seasick!” During her leg of the swim, Alex ended up in between two shipping lanes. The ships pushed “cuttlefish skeletons, jellyfish and seaweed into the middle called the separation zone.” Alex says,  “I managed to go straight through it.”. She also wasn’t wearing a wetsuit, as for it to be recorded as an official attempt, wetsuits weren’t allowed. On top of the various challenges in the water, Alex faced a slight problem on the boat, finding out she was very seasick, something she didn’t realise beforehand!

From delays, seasickness and jellyfish to raising a phenomenal amount, Alex’s swim is utterly inspiring and we’re all so proud of her!!! Watch her in action here.

If you would like to donate to this fantastic cause, please see the Just Giving page.