An 86-year-old Merton Park woman has taken on a marathon swim to raise money for Cancer Research.

Jane Asher, a coach at Wimbledon-based Kings Cormorants swimming club, took on the 1,000 metre challenge as part of Marathon Swims at the London Aquatics Centre at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park on Saturday (November 11).

It is not the first time Jane, 86, has taken part in the event for charity, having lost family members to cancer.

She said: "It was an exceptional, well-organised event. I was most impressed.

“I have swum the Swimathon many times, I did the first one as well as several more and have already participated in the first open water swimathon which was held earlier this year.

“I have quite a lot of experience of long swimming competitions and this was such a lovely swimming pool, it is an excellent venue and the organisers did a really splendid job.”

Wayne Marsh, also a member of the swimming club participated in the mammoth 10,000m Marathon Swim.

Jane said: “He had very sore shoulders, but what a star!”

Marathon Swims is a global series of swimming challenge events in the world’s most iconic swimming arenas. The first event in the series was in London.

Founder of Marathon Swims, Diccon Loy said: “We wanted to create the ‘London Marathon’ of swimming in a pool. We felt the levels of innovation and development seen in other sports have not yet surfaced in the sport of swimming.

“Our aim was to create an innovative mass participation experience and challenge in the pool. Marathon swims in unlike anything ever staged in a pool before.”