Braintree: Firefighter prepares to swim The Channel (From Braintree and Witham Times)

Braintree: Firefighter prepares to swim The Channel

9:28am Wednesday 28th January 2009 in News By Mariam Ghaemi

A firefighter whose childhood ambition was to swim the English Channel is set to achieve his dream.

Pete Walker, 39, of Framlingham Way, Great Notley, swam part of the 21-mile stretch with a relay team in 2007, but this September he will tackle the full distance alone raising thousands of pounds for charity.

Mr Walker, who began swimming competitively at the age of 11, has already raised more than £7,000 of his £20, 000 target for the Fire Fighters Charity, the Royal National Lifeboat Institution and the Helen Rollason Heal Cancer Charity.

He said he was “terrified” about actually undertaking the swim, but “it will be a fantastic achievement.”

“I have always said once and once only and I will never do it again.”

To sponsor him visit www.justgiving.com/petewalker1.