Pupils and staff from Taunton School were thrilled that a team of seven 13-year-olds swam 22 miles across the English Channel in an amazing 15 hours
Emma Hounslow, Emily Lawton, Skyla Coate, Ollie Halliday, Imogen Childs, Jonny Cole and Annabelle Lewes went toe to toe with the elite of the British military and came second after being pipped by the Royal Marines, in the sprint for the shore just before midnight. For the last 200 metres all children swam to the shore together and were euphoric that they had made it.
The teams were spurred on after receiving messages of support from Olympic swimmer Rebecca Adlington, endurance adventurer Sean Conway and the world record holder for swimming the English Channel Trent Grimsey.
They swam in relay, taking an hour each at a time, from Shakespeare’s Beach to Cap Gris Nez. It ended in the early hours of this morning in the dark on the shores of France.
The teams have also raised an impressive sum of money for the Royal Marines Charity.
