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BBC Berkshire team take plunge for Children in Need

BBC Two women wearing coats and a man wearing a changing towel standing in front of a lake on a sunny day. They're smiling and each wearing a set of yellow Pudsey Bear ears.BBC
Sali Shobowale, Phil Mercer-Kelly and Katherine Bett swam in Taplow Lake, near Maidenhead, to prepare for the challenge

Five members of staff from BBC Radio Berkshire are among teams across the country taking on a swimming challenge for Children in Need.

Groups from every BBC Local Radio station will take part in the Thousand Mile Challenge with each station having to cover 25 miles (40km).

To help them prepare, three members of the Berkshire team braved the cold water to take a plunge with regular swimmers at Taplow Lake near Maidenhead.

BBC Radio Berkshire Breakfast Show producer Katherine Bett said for Children in Need "you have to push yourself out of your comfort zone".

They were accompanied by open water swim coach Carine Evans, who warned that the temperature of the water was the biggest issue and correctly predicted that there "may be a little bit of screaming and shouting about the temperature difference".

However, safety was the top priority, with Ms Evans reminding the team members they needed to be aware if they were feeling a bit tired and they each had a tow float to hang on to.

A group of people, some wearing swimming hats, smiling and posing for a photo with someone in a Pudsey Bear costume. There's a lake in the background.
The challenge is in aid of Children in Need

The swimmers were in the water for 15 minutes and covered a distance of 100m between two brightly-coloured marker boys.

After they were back on dry land, Ms Evans said it had been a "great swim" and "they all did brilliantly".

Team member Sali Shobowale admitted she struggled a little when first getting into the water.

However, she added: "Overall, I just feel great afterwards, rejuvenated and invigorated."

A woman wearing a purple waterproof coat over a multicoloured swimming costume. She's wearing a pair of yellow Pudsey Bear ears and smiling at the camera with a lake in the background.
Carine Evans said the swimmers' safety was a top priority

Breakfast Show presenter Phil Mercer-Kelly also said he enjoyed the experience.

"I loved all the chat, the pottering along, but we did 100m in the cold and it was actually very enjoyable," he said.

However, taking part in the Thousand Mile Challenge is going to need stamina.

Ms Bett said: "It's one thing swimming 100m here but 25 miles between the five of us is going to be a lot and it's going back to the pool day after day after day, which is really going to take its toll.

"So there's a lot of work I have to do between now and the challenge to really get the miles in, but we've got a positive attitude."

The challenge itself will take place ahead of the main Children in Need event between 4-8 November, with the team planning to use different pools around Berkshire.

The full team is Mr Mercer-Kelly, Ms Shobowale, Ms Bett, Rena Annobil and Ben Pritchard.

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