Channel swim in 12 hours (From Bournemouth Echo)

Channel swim in 12 hours

5:00pm Friday 17th August 2012 in News

WITH a name like Thorpe, it’s no surprise Victoria is a keen swimmer.

She certainly gave Australia’s most successful Olympian a run for his money when she took on a swim of the English Channel, completing the challenge on Tuesday in just over 12 hours.

Victoria, 27, set herself the task in a bid to raise £10,000 for two Alzheimer’s charities.

The former Parkstone Grammar School pupil trained in the evenings at Blandford Flyers swimming club, which sparked her passion for the sport.

She said: “Since leaving Dorset to go off to university I continued to swim and then a few years ago discovered open water swimming. Since then I’ve completed my first marathon swim, numerous short distance sea, river and lake swims, as well as competing in the World Winter Swimming championships.”

Victoria, who is now a management consultant in London, chose The Alzheimer’s Society and The Alzheimer’s Research Trust as the beneficiaries of her efforts after seeing her grandmother suffer from the disease.

She said: “It was just really awful to see and we had little understanding and knowledge about treatment.

“Alzheimer’s charities also get very little funding.”

Victoria has already collected almost £5,000 towards her target, but there is still time to donate to the cause by visiting uk.virginmoneygiving.com/toryswimstofrance.