A woman who was diagnosed with stage four bowel cancer has swum the English Channel in aid of Blesma. Jody Jones was set to swim the Channel last year but the shock diagnosis brought her training to a halt. Surgery to remove half her colon was followed by chemotherapy and then further surgery, but Jody remained determined to complete the challenge.

“When I was diagnosed, I was eight months away from the swim and it was the fittest I’d ever been,” said Jody. “I delayed the swim for a year, but it never crossed my mind not to do it.”

Jody began the epic challenge on 27 August, and completed the 21-mile swim 18 hours, 14 minutes and 30 seconds later. “It was incredibly hard. The boat ride out to the starting point was especially emotional. I didn’t speak to anyone and just focused on getting my head in the right place. In theory, I shouldn’t have made it across the Channel but, like Blesma’s Members I’m quite resilient,” said Jody, who has so far raised more than £11,250 for the Association.