ELY Triathlon Club Swimmer Maria Ammann-West will attempt to swim the English Channel in August to raise money for The Ely Cathedral Music Appeal and The Chapel of All Saints, Windsor Great Park, Roof Appeal. Maria, a former verger of Ely Cathedral, is ho

ELY Triathlon Club Swimmer Maria Ammann-West will attempt to swim the English Channel in August to raise money for The Ely Cathedral Music Appeal and The Chapel of All Saints, Windsor Great Park, Roof Appeal.

Maria, a former verger of Ely Cathedral, is hoping to raise �50,000 to be divided equally between both causes.

She said: "Swimming the Channel is something I have always considered to be a challenge I should like to attempt, but rather than doing it just for myself, I want it to have a purpose and be beneficial to other people. I would not put myself in water that cold for the best part of a day just for the fun of it."

Her gruelling training schedule involves four to six hour swims at Ely's Paradise Pool under the watchful eye of Ely Tri-Club swim coach Brian Emerson, and regular training sessions swimming around the harbour in the port of Dover.

INFO: Anyone wishing to make a donation can go to the Cathedral. Sponsor forms are available from Sallyann Ford, Deputy Operations Manager on 01353 660361 or Gill Wheeler. For the Ely Tri-Club go to tri@jotham.co.uk.

<5189> Maria Ammann-West takes a break during a five-hour training session at the Paradise pool in Ely before embarking on her cross-Channel swim for charity.

Photo: HELEN DRAKE