A Broughty Ferry woman braved strong tidal currents in cold open water and dodged massive cargo ships to swim the English Channel.
Mhairi Murdoch, 29, swam the 35km stretch in 10 hours 43 minutes last Thursday.
The junior doctor has been open-water swimming for over 20 years and is a member of Ye Amphibious Ancients Bathing Association (YAABA), who are based in Broughty Ferry.
She said: “I am so pleased to have completed the crossing and also a little bit surprised.
“In a year, only around 40% of those who try to do the Channel crossing are able to finish it. I was lucky.
“I have always had a joke with my sister that I would swim the Channel, and after moving to London I decided to go for it.
“She was there to support me and is the reason I got in to open-water swimming- she always wanted to swim the Tay when we were little.
“In fact, she joined me in the last 15 minutes of my swim, as I approached the French coast.
“Despite having lived all over the country, I’ve only ever been a member of one open-water swimming club, which is Ye Amphibious Ancients Bathing Association in Broughty Ferry.”
Joyce Macintosh, president of YABBA, said the club were “absolutely over the moon” about Mhairi’s achievement.
She said: “Mhairi is one of the few club members to have completed the Channel crossing.
“There is a dearth of female swimmers, so her crossing is really a fantastic achievement.
“She has been involved with YAABA for over 20 years now, and her forte is open water swimming, she is a true ‘phibby’.
“We are absolutely over the moon, the whole club are celebrating her achievement and we are so proud to have Mhairi as a club member.
“Her route started on Shakespeare beach near Dover, and she made it to the French coast in 10 hours 43 minutes.
“The Channel crossing is one of the most difficult open-water swims in the world.
“The swimmer has to navigate a current which changes direction regularly throughout the day.
“On top of that, it is possibly one of the world’s busiest shipping lanes.
As well as the challenging open-water conditions, there are strict rules to adhere to in order to complete the Channel swim.
Competitors are not allowed to wear a neoprene wet-suit and must wear an approved swimming costume.
Swimmers also must complete the crossing within a set time, otherwise they risk being carried out by the current which can change direction every six hours.
The Ye Amphibious Ancients Bathing Association host open water swimming competitions throughout the summer, and are known for organising the ‘New Year’s Day Dook‘.
Last year’s dook saw more than 300 participants brave the winter waters of the Tay, and according to YAABA has been a Broughty Ferry tradition since 1891.
