220 MILES SOURCE TO SEA
Melissa Compton became the first woman to swim the length of the River Severn and the first person ever to swim it skins
How long have you been outdoor swimming?
Three and a half years. I’ve got osteoarthritis so I couldn’t walk very well so I took up swimming instead.
How did you go to swimming the Severn in three and a half years? That is quite a steep curve!
I used to do long-distance walking so I had that endurance background. Once I started swimming I found I could do quite a long distance so I have been building it up: I did a Channel relay and a Windermere one-way last year. I just like going for nice long swims. So why not do something challenging like the Severn?