SWIMMING the channel is no mean feat but that is exactly what Angie Tanner is doing to support a cause close to her heart.

The charity worker from Royal Wootton Bassett is part of a six-person relay team taking on the tides between England and France.

Angie said: “Lots of my friends did it last year and the sense of achievement they had was inspiring.

"I made the decision a bit on whim and I’m definitely a little nervous, but once I’m there I will enjoy it. I need to not overthink things like the stories of the jellyfish in the sea!

“My friends and parents have been really supportive but they have been saying things like ‘rather you than me,’ and ‘you’re crazy but go for it’.”

Made up of British and American swimmers, the team will take it in turns to do swim in hour-long shifts to complete the 21-mile route, which is expected to take 18 hours.

To complete the journey they will time their departure to avoid being caught out by unfriendly tides.

Money raised will go towards the SwimTayka charity, which provides free swimming lessons and environmental education for underprivileged children around the world.

Angie said: “We have access to swimming lessons in the UK and US without having to think about it, but the charity goes out to India and Vietnam and other places to give lessons to people who don’t normally get them.

“It works with governments to influence policy, as drowning is one of the biggest causes of death. They educate people about water so that if they get pulled in, they have the skills to get out of it. It’s nice to support a small charity relevant to what we’re doing.”

The adventurer had to prove her abilities to the charity by swimming in a sub-16C Cotswolds lake for two hours. She passed the test on a scorching bank holiday weekend as part of her training to acclimatise to cold ocean temperatures.

Having swum the 14km Thames Marathon and other long-distance events, Angie is quietly confident that she can surmount the challenge.

She said: I’ve loved swimming since I was a child. I’ve never been good at sport – ask me to sprint and I can’t – but I am strong and I can swim for miles.”

Angie has fundraised £1,600, some of which will go towards the costs of entering the event. She said: “It’s brilliant. People have been so generous I can’t believe it. It’s becoming more and more real now.”

To support Angie, visit totalgiving.co.uk/mypage/angietanner