A 17-year-old woman from Richmond Hill completed a gruelling13-hour trek across the English Channel, raising over $2,250 in the process.
“It feels great. I feel really proud of myself,” said Muna Al-Shariri, who trained for the swim at Markham Aquatic Club. “When I was in London, and I was thinking about it, I was like, ‘Oh, it’s impossible.’ And I just finished it, and want to do it again.”
Al-Shariri started her swim at England’s Dover Marina at 3:16 a.m. From there, she battled the tide, high waves, cold water and pitch-black, hazy conditions all the way to the French beach on the opposite side. At one point she felt like giving up, but she was swimming for a cause.
With the help of charity Oxfam Canada, her swim donated thousands of dollars to provide HIV education and clean water to girls in Africa, in hopes of ensuring a better future for them.
As for Al-Shariri’s future swimming career, she hopes to pursue the sport in university but does not have immediate plans for another challenge.
“Maybe when I’m 21 I’ll do a double crossing,” she said. “If I really think about it, I might convince myself to do it.”