'This is just the start' says Channel swimmer, 16

Prisha Tapre completed the challenge in just under 12 hours

A 16-year-old girl who became one of the youngest people to swim the English Channel said "this is just the start" of her swimming journey.

Prisha Tapre, from Watford, swam 21 miles (34km) from Dover to Cap Gris Nez in France on 4 September.

She completed the challenge in 11 hours and 48 minutes.

"It just feels unreal. I still haven't got my head around the fact I've swam the English Channel but I feel really good," she said.

"Over the first two hours, it was choppy and it was dark, but I got over it.

"After that, it all settled down and it was perfect; I could not ask for anything better. And it was warm. It was 19C, but it was really still."

Prisha says swimming in the dark was the "worst part"

Prisha, a Watford Swimming club member, said she took up swimming aged 12 and had to balance training for the channel crossing and studying for her GCSEs.

She said she wanted to encourage young girls from ethnic minorities to take on sports like swimming.

"I've noticed that there aren't a lot of ethnic minorities, like Asian girls, in competitive sports like swimming, and I just really wanted to influence other younger girls to go against the stereotypes," she added.

Her challenged helped to raise £3,700 for Akshaya Patra UK, a charity with a mission to end hunger and food poverty among children in India and the UK.

Prisha says it feels "unreal" to have completed the challenge

Hundreds of swimmers attempt to cross the English Channel each year. Many have died doing so.

Prisha said she has "no idea" what will come next but added: "I just know that I want to keep going. This is just the start."

Jeremy Irvine, open water coach at Watford Swimming Club, said: "Prisha showed just what can be accomplished by perseverance and training.

"It's been an honour and privilege to be part of this amazing team who have helped Prisha's dream become a reality."