History student and swimming Blue, Ellie Mason is one of a team of six from the University who swam the Channel in the early hours of last Friday morning.
The relay team of three men and three women began the challenge at 2.50am and arrived in Calais 9hr and 47 minutes later, beating the time set by the Cambridge team in 2022 by 11 minutes.
Ellie swam the 6th leg from unclaimed waters into French waters. She said
“I was faced with the competing tides, debris and jellyfish! Luckily I escaped with only two major stings”.
The Oxford team left at 4am on Sunday morning and completed the relay in 9 hours and 3 minutes.
Ellie said:
“I’m so proud to have been a part of the Cambridge team and the performance we put in”
Prof David Reynolds said:
"Speaking as one of Ellie's history supervisors, I know she works hard and plays hard - just the kind of all-rounder we like to see. That said, doing one-sixth of a Channel swim, partly in darkness, is not something we expect of every Christ's student! Well done, Ellie - a tremendous achievement."
Senior Tutor, Dr Tom Monie said:
"This is an exceptional achievement and as a College we are very proud of Ellie's role in the Channel swim. The dedication and commitment she has shown is outstanding and something that we value highly at Christ's. Having our students engage with and excel in a wide-range of activities is part of what makes the College such a rewarding and enjoyable place to be. Congratulations Ellie and all the team!"
The Cambridge team exceeded their fundraising target for Parkinson’s UK and Cancer Research.
Find out more from the Channel Swimming Association.
Read about the team's training.
