Can't talk Mum, I'm swimming the Channel

Fitness instructor Kat Baker has realised her dream of swimming the English Channel – and even managed a mobile phone chat to her mother en route.

Miss Baker, 28, of Shepton Mallet, Somerset, was part of a six-strong relay team who had trained in two separate threesomes and did not meet until the day before they were due to undertake the gruelling journey.

All six raised money for charity. Miss Baker's chosen cause was Happy Landings animal rescue centre at Pylle, near Shepton Mallet.

Miss Barker works at Holbrook House fitness club at Wincanton and was joined in the relay by club members Karen Lewis and Ian Reade, a teacher at Sexey's School, Bruton. They recruited three members of the Royal Navy, Greg Davison, Matt Ward and Andy Robinson, and the six trained daily over seven months.

Rules of the relay are that each team member must swim for an hour at a time in strict rotation. Mr Robinson and Mr Davison swam three times, while the others completed two legs each.

Mr Davison took the glory as he completed the epic in the dark, climbing out onto the beach and grabbing a handful of French sand which he stashed in his swimming trunks as proof to anyone back home who doubted that he had completed the mission.

The entire swim took 13 hours, nine minutes and 50 seconds. It was due to take place on September 9, but when they arrived in Dover the team was told it would have to be delayed until September 12 because of weather conditions and other swimmers. Miss Baker, the fastest swimmer of the group, said: "In fact, the delay gave us time to bond and train together in the harbour for two days, which was great.

"The water was freezing cold and there were lots of jellyfish en route, and a lot of big ships – but no sharks though. Matt said he heard dolphins when he was swimming, but we didn't see any.

"My dad (George) was with us on the boat and on my second hour's swim, Karen shouted to say my mum was on the phone and I should shout to her. I kept my head up and shouted and she heard me. Wow, what an uplift that was.

"I used to swim for the county but I never thought I would do anything like this until someone who I was instructing at the club said they wanted to be fit enough to do a Channel swim. I had always thought I was too thin to do a solo swim, but then I heard about the relays. Karen and Ian were keen and then we recruited Greg, Matt and Andy, though we didn't meet them until we got to Dover."

Her family's dogs were rescued from Happy Landings. So far Miss Baker's swim has raised £1,300 for the centre.