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    • Teams complete Children in Need swim challenge
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    Teams complete Children in Need swim challenge

    Pabio Posted on

    A girl wearing a large yellow Pudsey shirt and a black swimming cap. There is a swimming pool behind her

    BBC Radio Surrey apprentice Morgan Webb swam for the team (BBC)

    Local BBC radio teams in the South East have completed their Children in Need swimming challenge.

    Teams from Kent, Surrey and Sussex began swimming a total of 48 miles (77.2 km) on Monday and finished on Friday afternoon.

    BBC Radio Surrey producer and swimming teacher Sophia Atkins walked 2 miles each day to complete the challenge.

    She said: “I’m exhausted but I’m enjoying it. Children in Need helps great charities in our area, which is why I do it.

    A man and a woman wearing yellow Pudsey shirts. The man also has Pudsey ears. They are either side of a man with a red towel around his neck and holding a Pudsey teddy bear who is wearing a BBC Radio Sussex shirt.A man and a woman wearing yellow Pudsey shirts. The man also has Pudsey ears. They are either side of a man with a red towel around his neck and holding a Pudsey teddy bear who is wearing a BBC Radio Sussex shirt.

    BBC Radio Sussex presenter Sarah Gorrell swam with producers Steve Dale and Will Flockton (Julia Moore/BBC)

    BBC Radio Kent’s Adam Dowling also took part in the challenge despite not knowing how to swim.

    He had his first swimming lesson in more than 30 years before the challenge and swam 25 meters without the aid of a float.

    He said: “I felt very emotional when I got into the deep end.

    “I had trouble breathing towards the end, but I managed!”

    A woman with a long black coat and a red scarf and a man with a brown leather jacket smiling and looking at the camera. They both give a thumbs up. They are on either side of a person dressed as Pudsey.A woman with a long black coat and a red scarf and a man with a brown leather jacket smiling and looking at the camera. They both give a thumbs up. They are on either side of a person dressed as Pudsey.

    Listeners Mary and Don visited Sea Lanes Brighton to support the team (Julia Moore/BBC)

    Executive producer Vicki Berry said, “The team was very impressive, first (in) volunteering to jump right in, but (also in) sticking with it this week.”

    BBC radio stations across the UK hoped to collectively swim 1,000 miles and have so far raised more than £100,000.

    The Thousand Mile Challenge is supported by former Team GB swimmers Rebecca Adlington and Mark Foster.

    To find out more, visit bbc.co.uk/swim.

    Follow BBC Sussex on Facebookon Xand on Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.

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