'Mermaids' complete swim between islands
Ali Budynkiewicz and Annie Richardson swam from Guernsey to Herm dressed as mermaids to raise awareness of pollution in the ocean
At a glance
Ali Budynkiewicz, 65, and Annie Richardson, 69, swam between Guernsey and Herm, dressed as mermaids
They undertook the swim to raise awareness of ocean pollution
The pair trained in some tough weather conditions but had good conditions for their swim
- Published
Two friends have swum from one Channel Island to another dressed as mermaids to raise awareness of sea pollution.
Ali Budynkiewicz, 65, and Annie Richardson, 69, both from Bournemouth, swam the three miles (4.8km) from Guernsey to Herm in just one hour and 28 minutes.
They undertook the challenge ahead of Ms Richardson's 70th birthday.
Ms Richardson said she was feeling "exhausted, but exhilarated" after the swim.
'Unbelievably beautiful'
The women swam to raise awareness of sea pollution and Project Planet Earth, an initiative based in Dorset.
Ms Budynkiewicz said she and Ms Richardson "work really well together".
"We've trained very hard for this, so we knew that we could do it, and we just loved it," she said.
"It was unbelievably beautiful in the sea. The sea's so clear, we could see everything, the sun was on our backs - it was the most amazing experience."
Ms Richardson said the pair had "quite a history" of long-distance swimming.
She said they had trained in some tough weather conditions, which had stood the pair in good stead for the swim on Monday.
She said she had wanted to "make people aware of what we could be doing to help our planet, rather than ruining it".
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