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| Version 3 | Version 4 |
|---|---|
| Women finish Afghan Channel swim | Women finish Afghan Channel swim |
| (1 day later) | |
| A group of six women have completed a swim across the English Channel to raise money towards building a maternity hospital in Afghanistan. | A group of six women have completed a swim across the English Channel to raise money towards building a maternity hospital in Afghanistan. |
| The swimmers, aged 24 to 64, started at Dover on Sunday night and arrived near Calais just after 2100 BST on Monday. | |
| The women, all from the Serpentine Swim Club at London's Hyde Park, hope the sponsored swim will raise £50,000. | The women, all from the Serpentine Swim Club at London's Hyde Park, hope the sponsored swim will raise £50,000. |
| They had originally set out on Saturday night but were forced to abandon their efforts due to rough seas. | They had originally set out on Saturday night but were forced to abandon their efforts due to rough seas. |
| Clare Doyle, 64, Martha Fray, 56, Lorraine Jones, 56, Anne Macalpine-Leny, 51, Maree Mitchell, 31, and Sophie Rutenbar, 24, took turns to cover 21 miles across the Channel. | |
| 'One more brick' | 'One more brick' |
| Mrs Macalpine-Leny said: "We're absolutely amazed and exhilarated. We did it in 23 hours and 16 minutes. It's beyond our wildest dreams." | Mrs Macalpine-Leny said: "We're absolutely amazed and exhilarated. We did it in 23 hours and 16 minutes. It's beyond our wildest dreams." |
| The money they raise will go to the UK-based charity Afghan Mother and Child Rescue. | The money they raise will go to the UK-based charity Afghan Mother and Child Rescue. |
| The 10-bed hospital will be built in a remote area of Panjsher province in partnership with Afghanistan's Ministry of Public Health. | The 10-bed hospital will be built in a remote area of Panjsher province in partnership with Afghanistan's Ministry of Public Health. |
| Mrs Macalpine-Leny added: "This has not been an easy swim, we have battled through sickness, waves and bad weather over the last 24 hours to get here. | Mrs Macalpine-Leny added: "This has not been an easy swim, we have battled through sickness, waves and bad weather over the last 24 hours to get here. |
| "It's been a challenge but with every stroke we were thinking 'it's one more brick for the hospital'." | "It's been a challenge but with every stroke we were thinking 'it's one more brick for the hospital'." |