On 29 January 2018, OS contributor Becky Horsbrugh will attempt to be the first British person to swim the Bangla Channel in the Bay of Bengal, a 16km (10-mile) sea route from Teknaf to the Saint Martin’s Island, in southern Bangladesh.
“I am doing this swim to raise awareness of the huge issue of drowning in the country”, says Becky. Around 50 children a day die in the water in Bangladesh and drowning is the leading cause of death among children aged 1-17 years old. Up to 68 per cent of the country can be flooded during the monsoon season and many drownings occur inland.
“I hope to raise as much money as possible for the CIPRB which has set up swim schemes in the country to help keep children safe around water”, says Becky.