TWO intrepid young swimmers from Wivey Pool are putting in the strokes to raise awareness of sewage pollution, breaking records in the process.

14-year olds, Issy Shewry and Susy Havenhand, took to the Bristol Channel as part of The Big Swim and swam straight into the record books.

Subject to ratification by the Bristol Channel Swimming Association (BCSA) they have become the youngest swimmers to cross the 29.93km stretch from Penarth to Clevedon solo.

The girls completed the crossing on August 26 in six hours and 28 minutes.

Coach Hamish McCathry has trained the swimmers for the last two years and says the crossing is a serious test for even the most experienced swimmers.

Strong tides, changing conditions, mental and physical fatigue, and many hours in a stretch of open water that has the second-highest tidal range in the world.

Susy said: “It’s the hardest thing I have done but all the training was worth it, even though I can barely raise my arms above my head now!” and Izzy added: “I’m still tired now but I am really proud of us.”

Coach McCathry said: “Countless training hours throughout the Winter, Spring and Summer had prepared them physically for the challenge ahead, but just as importantly, those hours had forged an exceptional friendship.”

At 11.00 am on Wednesday, August 26, under calm skies and favourable conditions, the girls entered the water at Penarth slipway beginning the journey that would take them across the Bristol Channel. Over the next six and a half hours, they swam steadily towards the Somerset coast.

Familiar with Channel crossings, Izzy and Susy have already completed a relay swim of the Bristol Channel, the Jurassic Coast Marathon Swim from Lyme Regis to Beer, and a relay swim of the English Channel but the marathon effort of the solo swim challenged the girls in more ways than one.

The girls had to fight strong tides and mental and physical fatigue during the swim from Penarth to Clevedon.
The girls had to fight strong tides and mental and physical fatigue during the swim from Penarth to Clevedon. (WiveyPool)

Besides the mental endurance needed, both girls had to fight through discomfort and fatigue, while Susy was repeatedly sick throughout the swim.

Coach McCathry said: “She never allowed it to affect her determination. With Izzy's support and patience, time and again she recovered, they both settled back into their rhythm and continued swimming strongly.

“Hour after hour, they kept moving forwards. Neither girl was prepared to let the other down.”

Both girls faced setbacks too in the weeks before the challenge from swimming in contaminated water during training, both losing weight and valuable training time.

Their determination never wavered and thankfully their recovery was quick but it was a stark reminder of the water quality issues that The Big Swim seeks to highlight, says their coach.

Summing up the crossing he said: “Their achievement has been outstanding. It was just a great day. I was nervous at the time and afterwards, I was so proud.

“They swim with me every Tuesday at WiveyPool and swam almost exclusively with me throughout the summer in preparation.

“Two 14 year old doing something fantastic wants to make me blub with pride!”

Find out more about The Big Swim online at thebigswim.org.