Cystic fibrosis swimmer completes lake challenge

Adam Ball swam across all 13 publicly accessible lakes in the Lake District

A man with cystic fibrosis has swum the length of 13 lakes in the Lake District raising almost £19,000 for charity.

Adam Ball, from South Shields, took on the challenge to swim all the publicly accessible lakes in the national park to mark his 30th birthday, an age he was told he would probably not reach because of his condition.

He said he had a few emotional moments during his final swim in Windermere, the longest of the whole challenge, adding: "It's grown far bigger than I ever imagined and I feel genuinely proud of how far I've come."

Over the summer he swam a total of 71km (44 miles) while raising money for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.

Cystic fibrosis, which is the most common, inherited life-threatening condition in the UK, affects Mr Ball's ability to breathe.

Saturday's final swim of the 13 Lake Challenge took him six hours to complete.

Mr Ball said: "I remember stopping quite a few times just to look around and try to take it all in.

"Truthfully, even now, a couple of days after finishing, it still hasn't fully sunk in."

Mr Ball raised thousands of pounds for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust

Vanessa Newton, of the trust, congratulated Mr Ball saying the funds would be used to support those with the condition and their families.

"We are so grateful for the incredible amount he has fundraised and the awareness he has raised along the way," she said.

The fundraising page raised about £15,000, but private donations and gift aid brought the total to about £18,942, Mr Ball said.

Mr Ball celebrated his 30th birthday in January.

He said: "Barriers can be broken, even the ones that feel set in stone."