New Forest businesswoman to swim across English Channel

Sarah McCrae, a marketing strategist and mother-of-two from Ringwood, is preparing to take on the gruelling endurance challenge in July.

She will participate in a relay swim across the Channel to raise funds for SwimTayka, a charity that provides swimming and water safety lessons to children in underserved communities worldwide.

Sarah will join five teammates, collectively known as Team SeaGals, to swim in rotation for an hour at a time from Dover to the French coast.

Sarah McCrae in training for the cross-Channel charity swim (Image: Sarah McCrae) The 20-mile crossing can take anywhere from 11 to 18 hours, depending on tides and weather, and will see the team face strong currents, busy shipping lanes, and freezing water temperatures, all without wetsuits.

The team is made up of women friends of different ages, backgrounds, and abilities from across the South Coast.

Sarah said: "We are brought together by a shared sense of adventure and a commitment to this meaningful cause.

"Each team member is facing her own personal challenge: from overcoming injury, managing cold-water anxiety, to rebuilding fitness.

Sarah McCrae from Ringwood in the New Forest will participate in a relay swim across the English Channel (Image: Sarah McCrae) "What unites us is a collective determination to train hard, support each other, and achieve this incredible goal together."

Despite her strong swimming background, the Channel swim is unlike anything Sarah has faced before.

She said: "I’ve always loved the water but I also have a deep-rooted fear of open water and what lurks beneath the surface.

"This is completely outside my comfort zone.

"I’m doing this to raise funds for SwimTayka because I believe every child deserves the chance to feel safe and confident in the water.

"It’s not just about sport, it’s about survival."

Training for the challenge began during the winter, with Sarah focusing on endurance training in the pool and gym, and cold-water acclimatisation dips in the sea.

She is aiming to raise £2,000 for SwimTayka, with all funds going directly to support their international programmes.

Donations can be made via her fundraising page: justgiving.com/page/sarah-mccrae-swimtayka?utm_medium=FR&utm_source=CL&utm_campaign=015.