Teenager lands place in celebrity charity swim

A Yorkshire teenager is celebrating after winning the once in a lifetime opportunity to swim the Irish Sea with a shoal of celebrities, including Sir Richard Branson, Ronan Keating and Pamela Stephenson.

Nikki Fraser, of Penistone, beat more than 30 swimmers to net one of just two public places on The Swim – a unique celebrity relay team challenge aiming to raise £1m for Cancer Research UK. The super-fit 18-year old proved she’s got what it takes to join the team after facing feats of mental and physical endurance during gruelling swimming trials last week. This included a two hour swim off the coast of Brighton.

Now delighted Nikki is all set to join The Swim team, who also include TV presenter Jenny Frost and The Gadget Show host Jason Bradbury, in tackling a 56-mile stretch of the Irish Sea from Holyhead to Dublin in September.

“I’m thrilled to bits to have got through and can’t quite take it all in,” said Nikki, who has just finished studying for her A-levels at Greenhead College, Huddersfield. “The trials were tough, particularly the surprise swim at the end of the day, when, just as we thought it was all over, we were asked to go back into the sea and do another four laps.

“I was fairly confident that I’d done OK but it still came as a fantastic surprise when I got the call from Cancer Research UK to say I’d made the team.”

It will take The Swim team around 40 hours to complete their Irish Sea challenge, with each team member swimming for up to an hour at a time in often treacherous conditions.

But Nikki, who has been swimming competitively since the age of eight, and took part in her first open water event at the age of 11, said she is more excited than nervous.

“I love a challenge, I feel right at home in the sea, the only thing I don’t like is jelly fish but I’ll just have to swim right past them. I’m really looking forward to it and the fact I’m getting to do this with celebrities makes it even more exciting. My sister Catriona thinks it’s brilliant because she’s a Ronan Keating fan.”

Nikki, who is a member of the Stocksbridge Pentaqua club, also has a more personal reason for wanting to take part in the challenge.

Her grandfather has recently been treated for his second bout of cancer and Nikki knows how important it is to raise money for Cancer Research UK’s life-saving research. Her own sponsorship efforts so far have already raised more than £380 for the charity.

“Granddad was diagnosed with bowel cancer six years ago and was treated with surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy,” said Nikki, who lives with mother Silke, father Neil, sister Catriona and brother Patrick. “Last year he was diagnosed with cancer of the oesophagus and has had radiotherapy treatment.

“He’s 84 and doing really well so he’s living proof that research into better treatment is helping to save lives.

“But sadly mum’s best friend Jude died of breast cancer in 2004 when she was only 50 so there’s still a long way to go and that’s why I want to do all I can to help.

“I know I’ve got an incredible challenge ahead of me, but raising money to help beat cancer is the ultimate motivation. I’m in a win win situation – getting to do something I really love while at the same time raising money for a really worthwhile cause.”

People can sponsor Nikki at www.virginmoneygiving.com/NikkiFraser

People in Yorkshire can also support the fundraising drive by staging their own sponsored swimming-related activity.

Nicki Embleton Cancer Research UK spokesperson for Yorkshire said: “Swimming 56 miles across the Irish Sea will be physically and emotionally demanding– even in a relay team. So we’re calling on people in Yorkshire to show their support for Nikki and The Swim team.”

STRONGEST CHOSEN

The Swim is a unique celebrity-led challenge to swim the treacherous Irish Sea from Holyhead to Dublin in a relay team, a distance of 56 miles, to raise £1m towards Cancer Research UK’s lifesaving work. It will take place in September this year. Twenty people were picked for each public place and invited to swimming trials in Brighton on the 26th and 27th July.

The two strongest swimmers were picked by open water swimming experts. www.the-swim.co.uk.