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Women swim Channel to aid Afghans Channel swim for Afghans delayed
(about 5 hours later)
A group of six women has begun a charity sponsored swim across the English Channel to raise money for a maternity hospital in Afghanistan. Rough seas have delayed an attempt by six women to swim across the English Channel to raise money for a maternity hospital in Afghanistan.
The women range in age from 26 to 65, and hope to raise £50,000 for Afghan Mother and Child Rescue (AMCR). The women, ranging in age from 26 to 65, aim to swim in turns to cover 21 miles from Dover to Cap Gris Nez.
They are due to take turns swimming, and aim to cover the 21 miles from Dover to Cap Gris Nez near Calais by Sunday evening. They hope their efforts will raise £50,000 towards a 10-bed hospital for Afghan Mother and Child Rescue (AMCR).
The money they raise will go towards building a 10-bed hospital. But their initial attempt was abandoned just after the start due to rough seas - so the women plan to try again later.
This will be located in a remote area of the Panjsher valley in collaboration with Afghanistan's Ministry of Public Health. One of the group, Anne Macalpine-Leny, said of their first attempt: "The sea was just too rough for us."
The women, who expect to be in the water for up to 20 hours, have been training intensively since May and coached by Freda Streeter, the mother of Alison Streeter, who has completed 43 solo Channel crossings to date. "We had not gone far when we were met by boats coming in from out at sea who told us it was just too bad out there," she said.
The six swimmers are Clare Doyle, 64, Martha Fray, 56, Lorraine Jones, 56, Anne Macalpine-Leny, 51, Maree Mitchell, 31, and Alice Constance, 26. "It's annoying as last night was meant to be the perfect conditions."
She confirmed that the women would make a second attempt at their Channel crossing on Sunday night.
It is envisaged that a hospital will be run by the charity in collaboration with Afghanistan's Ministry of Public Health, and located in a remote area of the Panjsher .
The women, who expect to be in the water for up to 20 hours, have been training intensively since May and are coached by Freda Streeter, the mother of Alison Streeter, who has completed 43 solo Channel crossings to date.
The six swimmers are Clare Doyle, 64, Martha Fray, 56, Lorraine Jones, 56, Ms Macalpine-Leny, 51, Maree Mitchell, 31, and Alice Constance, 26.
All are members of the Serpentine Swimming Club in London's Hyde Park.All are members of the Serpentine Swimming Club in London's Hyde Park.
Ms Macalpine-Leny said: "The hardest thing is going to be the cold and the other thing is the strength of the currents and the waves. Before their first swim, Ms Macalpine-Leny had said: "These areas are very remote - it is very difficult for the women to get any good maternity care at all and we think our struggle is nothing compared to what these women go through."
"We wanted to raise money for the charity as we know exactly where it's going. "These areas are very remote - it is very difficult for the women to get any good maternity care at all and we think our struggle is nothing compared to what these women go through."