Sea swimmer completes channel swim in her back garden for Whitby RNLI.
Sea swimmer completes channel swim in her back garden for Whitby RNLI.
Lifeboats News Release
Kristina Peart was missing her usual sea swims during the coronavirus lockdown so much that she decided to purchase a paddling pool for her back garden.
Kristina, who completed a relay channel swim last year, used a tether to be able to swim in the 2x3 meter pool. She fastened the tether to her garden shed and set off on her voyage.
She said: 'It took a while to get used to swimming on the tether, at least two miles to really get into the swing. I also opted to use a snorkel as I found it inhibited my usual breathing technique.
The water temperature went from a chilly 9 degrees in the pool to a slightly more bearable 16 degrees as Kristina reached "France," The swim which Kristina completed over the course of a month took in total 16 hours and 28 minutes of swimming time.
Kristina said: 'I decided to do the channel swim as a fundraiser for the RNLI as they were a reassuring presence during my training last year. I enjoyed the swim so much that I am now in the process of swimming back to England - completing another 21 miles over the coming weeks.
Howard Fields Whitby RNLI Coxswain said: 'We are really impressed with Kristina's achievement in her back garden. It is fab to see people coming up with different ways to fundraise for us during these unusual times and we are very grateful to Kristina for her contribution.'
The RNLI is a life saving charity that relies on donations. The volunteer crew are on call 24-7 to rescue anyone who gets into difficulty on the water. Donations are used to provide lifesaving equipment and provide up to date training for the volunteers.
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.
