Alnwick Channel stoma swimmer recognised with awards

Gill Castle completed her Channel swim in September

A woman who became the first person with a stoma to swim solo across the English Channel has been given two awards for her achievement.

Gill Castle swam from Dover to France in September to raise awareness of birth injures and people with stomas.

The 43-year-old had to have a colostomy following the birth of her son in 2011.

Mrs Castle, from Alnwick, Northumberland, said the awards from the Channel Swimming Association had left her "lost for words".

• Woman becomes first solo Channel stoma swimmer

• The Stoma Swimmer on BBC Sounds

She was awarded the Mercedes Gleitze trophy for pioneering female and the special award for an impaired swimmer at a ceremony in Dover.

Mercedes Gleitze was the first British woman to swim the English Channel.

"I mean she's a heroine," Mrs Castle said, adding: "Someone that's encouraged and inspired so many people, so many women.

"For me to be awarded that trophy is just the end of a magical dream experience. I don't know what else to say, I'm so privileged."

Mrs Castle trained for three years before the swim, which she completed in just under 14 hours.

Crew member Deborah Vine collected the trophies for Gill Castle at the ceremony in Dover

She was unable to receive her trophies in person as she was in Kenya with her charity Chameleon Buddies, which she set up to support women in the UK and abroad who have stomas.

Her channel swim raised more than £30,000 for the charity.

Her trophies were collected by her friend Deborah Vine, one of the crew members on the boat which accompanied her across the Channel.

"We're going to have a little meet up and a little celebration when I get home," Mrs Castle said, adding: "It's really special and I'm so lucky."