A DETERMINED fundraiser has completed a gruelling endurance challenge by swimming the Channel to support a spinal injury charity.

Peter Whitehead, 53, of Wivenhoe, swam the English Channel in 17 hours and 39 minutes to raise money for the Aspire charity.

Peter began swimming ten years ago and was inspired to swim the Channel after many days spent by the sea at his beach hut.

He said: “When looking out at sea I often thought of what to swim in the middle of nowhere with no sight of the coast.

“I paid a deposit to swim the Channel a few years ago but because of the pandemic, I hadn’t swam for two years then last October I received a reminder about my intention to swim the Channel.

“I needed something to shake me up a bit so I paid up and confirmed without thinking about what it meant from a training perspective.”

Peter trained by swimming in different events like the Solent Swim and relay swims.

He also swam with Dover Channel Training who provide a safe space and expert coaches that help those planning a swim.

In Dover, Peter started off with swimming for three hours a day then built up to 13 hours of swimming per weekend.

Peter added: “It is one of the most challenging endurance events you can face but that’s where the training comes in to help.

“The key thing I had to focus on was the mental side, as soon as there is doubt that’s when the whole thing can unravel.

“For me, it was fine until the 13th hour mark when we were getting close to France, I saw bits of the French coast and misread where I was.

“This led to a major wobble at 16 hours when it started to get dark and I was getting cold, but I pulled through and managed to finish.”

Peter, who owns a beach hut in Walton, raised more than £3,000 for Aspire after his friend was paralysed following an accident.

Aspire organised swims like the Solent Swim and Peter wanted to repay their support.

To donate to Peter’s fundraiser visit bit.ly/3LNioc7.