Cornish teenager becomes youngest to complete 14-mile swim challenge

The 15-year-old set off on Monday morning after having postponed one attempt in 2021 due to bad weather

A teenager has become the youngest person to complete a 14-mile (23km) swim challenge.

Lowenna North completed the challenge on Monday, starting at Eddystone Rock and ending at the steps next to the Tinside Lido pool in Plymouth.

The 15-year-old, from Cornwall, had to postpone her last attempt in 2021 due to bad weather.

She completed the challenge in about 11-and-a-half hours, arriving at the pool at about 19:30 BST.

Only four people have completed the challenge since it was first swum more than 100 years ago.

After completing the challenge, Lowenna said: "I'm very happy I finally did it.

"I think the third or fourth hour for me was probably the hardest.

"It just got very tough mentally and I just wanted to get back, I wasn't feeling very well.

"I think it's all psychologically hard, more than it is physically hard.

"Once you get over the mental barrier of it, you're fine, it's completely fine."

Lowenna North's friends and family waited for her to complete the challenge at the end location

Her mother Ruth North said: "If she puts her mind to it, that's it, she'll do it, and I'm just so proud and thankful for all the support we've had."

Andrew Butler, one of the support crew, said: "She had really tough conditions right through to the finish.

"When she got to the Breakwater, she had the tide against her.

"She's had to really work hard for this swim, she didn't have it easy in any shape or form."

Andrew Butler was part of Lowenna's support team

Open water swimmer Neil Brinkworth, from Plymouth, was the last person to officially complete the swim.

He was on the support boat swim to ratify it and said details will be added to the Marathon Swimming Federation website once all the documentation has been gathered, submitted, and verified.

The total distance swam by Lowenna was 16.28 miles (26.2km) because of deviations from being blown off course, and she finished in 11hrs 31 mins 5 secs.

Mr Brinkworth said the swim can be "logistically challenging" with Plymouth being an operational naval and commercial port - particularly when you have to swim across shipping lanes.

He said: "As we witnessed yesterday when you're out by the Eddystone, you're at the mercy of the winds and tides, swimming towards Plymouth you are swimming across the tide and being pushed sideways.

"Lowenna had the wind pushing her in the same direction as the tide, towards Looe, so we had to keep steering towards the Mewstone to try and compensate the wind and tide."

Mr Brinkworth said these elements make it a challenging and potentially dangerous swim, and one that only experienced swimmers should attempt.

"We train for months for swims like this doing multiple six hour training swims, and preparing the mind and body for exposure to the elements for hours on end with only your own thoughts for company", he said.