Jersey Woman Successfully Swims Solo to France

Jersey Woman Completes Solo Swim to France After Year of Training

A Jersey woman has successfully completed a solo swim across the Channel from Jersey to France, the Jersey Long Distance Swimming Club has confirmed.

Rebecca Collins, 43, completed the open-water challenge in an impressive time of seven hours and 54 minutes.

The club’s committee said Collins was no stranger to endurance swimming, having previously taken part in two Jersey-to-France charity relay swims as well as other long-distance events. However, this was her first solo crossing.

Collins spent more than a year training for the feat, driven by a lifelong love of the water.

"I’ve just always loved being in the water,” she said. “When I found out people actually swim this distance solo, the idea stuck with me—I couldn’t stop thinking about it.”

Before taking on the crossing, Collins was required to complete a gruelling six-hour qualifying swim in sea temperatures below 16°C (60°F).

She began her solo swim around 5:00 a.m. BST on Thursday and reached the French coastline shortly after 1:00 p.m.

Reflecting on the experience, she said: "It still doesn’t feel real. The support from the local swim community has been incredible. I'm just so grateful—grateful I had the chance to go after this, and that I became strong enough to make it happen.”