Mermaid in 20-bridge US swim

AN outdoor swimmer and river campaigner is to swim around Manhattan Island in New York to raise money for a fish conservation charity next Friday.

Laura Reineke, a member of the Henley Mermaids open water swimming group, is taking on the 20 Bridges challenge, a 48.5km night swim.

Ms Reineke, who lives in Binfield Heath, is raising money for WildFish, where she is fundraising and marketing lead.

She will have to contend with fast tides while swimming through three “rivers” that are actually all tidal straits or estuaries.

Ms Reineke will swim in tandem with her friend and training partner Lee Saudan, who swam the Channel in 2022.

She said: “This is a solo event, meaning we will be swimming the full distance but in tandem side by side, both with our own safety boats. We will be fed on a fishing line with liquid feeds.”

The swim is part of the triple crown of open water swimming, also comprising the Channel and the Catalina Channel.

The pair have to adhere to strict rules, only being allowed to wear a wetsuit, swimming hat and goggles.

Ms Reineke, who swam the Channel last year, said: “We are swimming to raise funds for WildFish and to raise awareness of the stresses that all our waterways and their inhabitants face in the current climate.”

For updates during the swim, join the WhatsApp group at https://tinyurl.
com/58343kcb

To make a donation, visit https://gofund.me/c601ff12