Solo female swimmer, Jasmine Harrison, who made headlines across the globe when she became the youngest woman to row alone across the Atlantic has reached a gruelling milestone in her latest world first challenge to swim the full length of Britain.
Jasmine reached Holyhead in Wales, around a third of the way, after battling against jellyfish, shipping, injuries and sheer exhaustion after swimming for up to ten hours a day.
But she says she has been supported by curious seals and dolphins and is determined to finish the 900 mile three month long swim from Lands End to John O’Groats.
The 22-year-old swimming instructor from Thirsk, reached Holyhead within her target date. She hopes to complete the swim at the end of September.
So far the challenge has seen Jasmine conquer the Bristol Channel which has the second greatest tidal range in the world where she was accompanied by pods of dolphins and inquisitive seals. Whilst the UK was basking in the heat-wave sea temperatures remained low and conditions challenging with jelly fish stings to Jasmine’s face and feet and skin chafes from wetsuits as she did two five hour shifts of swimming a day over changing tides.
Read more: Thirsk rower becomes youngest woman EVER to cross Atlantic solo
The weather conditions also meant they had to seek refuge in harbours along the way and with boat maintenance stops progress was at times frustratingly slow.
However a huge push over the last few days saw her complete massive daily swims totalling 76 nautical miles, 141km, on the spring tides with a top swimming speed of 9.9 Knots, 18.3kmph.
“I also had a bit of fun racing the support yacht, “ said Jasmine. “I swam to Wales, now I’m swimming to the Isle of Man, a place I’ve never even visited before. I’m really looking forward to swimming along the coast of Scotland, with highlights including swimming under the Skye bridge and past places I went on holiday to as a child. I’m really hoping for good weather and clear water so I can avoid as many jellyfish as possible.”
Jasmine’s latest challenge will be a world first, only two other people have completed the 900 mile swim and they were both men. She is raising money for charity, Surfers against Sewage and Sea Shepherds UK, both via Just Giving, to support their work in clean waters and beaches and protecting wildlife.
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