Eighteen-year-old Amber-Rose Berry has become the youngest South African woman to swim the English Channel.
The Pringle Bay swimmer completed the 33km crossing on August 23 in an unofficial 10 hours and 27 minutes.
Berry battled strong currents, jellyfish stings and waves from a passing ship during the demanding swim.
She entered the water from Shakespeare Beach in Dover at 5:27 am and reached France at 3:54 pm.
The average Channel crossing takes around 12 to 14 hours, making Berry’s time particularly impressive.
She began losing energy after passing the halfway point but continued despite feeling cold and exhausted.
Berry trained for months under coach Clinton Le Seuer before attempting the crossing.
Her support crew provided regular feeds and encouragement throughout the swim.
The achievement came exactly 100 years after Gertrude Ederle became the first woman to swim the Channel.
Berry previously made history at 16 by becoming the youngest person to complete Cape Town’s 33km False Bay crossing.
Her Channel swim has also raised more than $7,000 for the Ukukhula Institute, supporting disadvantaged student-athletes in South Africa.
