JERSEY Long Distance Swimming Club member Dee Richards achieved her dream of swimming the English Channel early today.

The 54-year-old walked ashore on a beach to the east of Calais harbour in France at 6.12 this morning after leaving Shakespeare beach in Dover yesterday morning at 8.06.

Richards’ 22 hours and six minutes effort has been described as a swim of epic proportions. The much-respected JLDSC member has had a long wait to achieve her goal, having travelled backwards and forwards to Dover several times over the last three years but being unable to step into the water because of unfavourable weather conditions.

Today Richards has joined the greats of the most exclusive club on earth by completing the swim. She left Dover yesterday morning accompanied by the escort vessel ‘Anastasia’ with the ‘dream team’ of captain Eddie Spelling and her support team of Sally Minty-Gravett, Wendy Prunty and Cliff Golding – all JLDSC members and all solo Channel swimmers.

• Picture: Dee Richards with Sally Minty-Gravett