WARRINGTON Dolphins Long Distance Swimming Club's Lesley Feakes entered the record books after completing the toughest long distance swim in England.
Feakes became only the second woman to complete the two-way Windermere swim of 21 miles and smashed the previous time by more than six hours.
The event is held every two years and attracts only a handful of the best distance competitors, usually undertaken prior to an attempt to swim the English Channel as it is considered to be more difficult - the water temperature is usually colder, fresh water is less buoyant than salt water and the swim is undertaken at night.
Feakes' achievement is even more remarkable as she swam breaststroke for the entire two lengths.
She set off from Ambleside, at the northern end, at 5pm on Saturday night with support of a rowing boat carrying three experienced long distance swimmers.
The main concern of the swim was the number of powerboats, water skiers and jet skis on the lake, which cause large waves.
Passing through the islands as she proceeded south caused her little problems with the exception of a more than usual quantity of weed.
Feakes maintained her stroke rate and arrived at the Fell Foot in the southern end, at 2am, where she rounded the turning buoy to start her return leg.
Entering the 'deeps', for the final three miles, Feakes started to tire and her pace dropped as fatigue set in.
With considerable encouragement from her boat crew and sheer determination from Feakes she completed the swim in 16hrs 38mins and 20secs.
Nicola Wright competed in the Derwent Water Junior Championship, finishing third over the 5 mile distance - two miles further than she had swum before. Her time was 2hrs 42mins 4secs.
Brother and sister, Andy Wright and Anna Barker, swam in the Coniston Veterans Championship.
Wright finished second which was enough for him to retain his overall Veteran's title for a second season.
Barker, who swam backstroke, was also narrowly beaten into second place in the women's competition.
Fellow club member Maurice Ferguson finished 13th.
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