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Former St Crispin's pupil's trophy for channel swim

By Laura Herbert
December 07, 2012

A former Wokingham schoolgirl has been awarded a trophy for swimming the English Channel.

Catie Smith, a former Wescott Infants and St Crispin’s School pupil, received the trophy from the Channel Swimming Association after completing a solo swim in 16 and a half hours.

Miss Smith, 33, who now lives in Manchester, completed the challenge in October, raising more than £3,000 for Water Aid charity.

Her mum Barbara Smith, of Wokingham, said: “The last few hours got progressively harder as she got more tired and then had to face the strong currents and swim against the tide into France.

“She was meant to land on one shore but could not overcome the currents and had to go round the headland to the next beach and then along that until the waves became less powerful.

“Finally she had to get on to the beach, stand up and show the observer she had landed.”

Miss Smith, who has been open water swimming for the last five years, was awarded the trophy in Dover last month.

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