Natalie trains in River Doon for charity plunge

Nov 7 2008 by Stuart Wilson

WHEN most people go for a swim, they jump in the local pool.

But one daredevil leapt into a 10 mile stretch of water to do her bit for charity.

Fearless Natalie Elvy swam in the largest lake in England to raise money for the British Lung Foundation Scotland.

And she reckons her plunge into the cold waters of Lake Windermere was child’s play after her training in the River Doon.

Natalie, 27, revealed: “It’s not something you can easily train for so I went for a quick swim in the River Doon.

“The atmosphere on the day was uplifting, seeing so many people swimming for their own particular charity.

Natalie chose the lung foundation in memory of her late father who suffered from a rare inherited form of lung disease called Alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency.

She swam one mile of the giant lake in a time of 34 minutes as mum Jane and sister Kate cheered her on from the sidelines.

Natalie added: “There was more than 2000 people taking part so they released us into the lake in heats.

“I’m pretty fit anyway and do 10k runs so I was looking forward to it – the challenge was something completely different.

“And I’ve managed to raised £4717, which is just fantastic.”

Lung disease is Scotland's biggest health issue, affecting one in five people.