Emily's record breaking swim...

Emily Morris works as a Duty manager at Hampton Pool and she likes a challenge! In February, she will be setting off for New Zealand to swim the Cook Strait. If successful, she will be the first British female to finish, an achievement that only 64 people have managed since 1962.

Emily, a keen outdoor swimmer (she successfully swam the English Channel in 2006), will be up against strong tides, unpredictable weather, not to mention jelly fish and sharks! It will also be extremely cold as wetsuits are forbidden. She hopes to get across in under 11 hours:

'This challenge is a big one for me, I am not a fast swimmer and will never break any speed records, however when I realised that I could be the first British female to swim the Strait (others have tried) I saw this as a chance to set a record. I will have to maintain my 2.5 Km/hour pace for the 11 hours! '

Emily has been training hard for the last eighteen months in outdoor pools and open water. She is collecting sponsorship and hopes to raise money to pay for a disabled chair hoist so that that Hampton Pool can be accessible to the whole community.

If you would like to support Emily, you can make a donation at www.virginmoneygiving.com

Everyone at YMCA London South West wishes Emily lots of luck with her swim across the Strait.