Radio teams take on Children in Need swim challenge

In an exciting initiative, local BBC radio teams in the South East are gearing up to participate in a remarkable swimming challenge to raise funds for Children in Need. The teams from Kent, Surrey, and Sussex are set to swim a combined distance of 48 miles, starting their efforts on Monday and aiming to complete the challenge by Friday. The Kent team will begin their swim at The Weald Leisure Centre in Cranbrook, while the Sussex and Surrey teams will be swimming in various locations throughout their respective counties. Will Flockton, a presenter from BBC Radio Sussex, expressed his thoughts on the challenge, stating, 'When I heard about the challenge I thought it was going to be a breeze as a strong swimmer in my younger days, but boy, 50 metres is a long way when you start doing it! ' He is looking forward to swimming a mile each day, finding the experience quite relaxing and therapeutic. Sophia Atkins, a member of the BBC Radio Surrey team, shared her feelings about the upcoming challenge. She admitted to being 'nervous for the challenge but very excited. ' Sophia anticipates that she might feel quite tired as the week progresses, but she sees it as a good excuse to indulge in a little extra chocolate! Another participant, Adam Dowling from BBC Radio Kent, is also taking part in the challenge despite not knowing how to swim. Adam recently had his first swimming lesson in over 30 years to prepare for this event, where he learned how to perform the breaststroke. He plans to swim 25 metres as part of the fundraising efforts. The Thousand Mile Challenge is being supported by former Team GB swimmers Rebecca Adlington and Mark Foster, who are encouraging all the participants as they take on this exciting and meaningful challenge.