Dover swimmer Sarah Philpott taking on the North Channel as she aims to complete the original British Triple Crown of open water swimming

Sarah Philpott aims to become the first English female to conquer the original British Triple Crown of open water swimming in the coming days.

Philpott, from Dover, recently swam the Bristol Channel, having already completed the English Channel swim in 2020, but the biggest challenge awaits. The North Channel between Northern Ireland and Scotland is the third of three Triple Crown swims and she has been warned about what lies in wait.

It’s not just the distance and the chilling temperatures that challenge swimmers taking on the North Channel route but the jellyfish. With masses of creatures in the waters, including the notorious Lion’s Main jellyfish, one of the largest species in the world, many have failed because of them.

Speaking ahead of her challenge, Philpott, who is in her mid-40s, said: “Up until last month only four people had ever completed the triple crown, all four were men and I wanted to be the first woman but in the last two weeks two other women have just completed it.”

Sian Clement, from Wales, was the first, swimming the North Channel on July 10 in 12hrs 45mins. Last week an Irish female swimmer completed the Triple Crown but as yet no English woman has done it.

The Triple Crown was first completed in 1971 by Dover’s own “King of the English Channel” Kevin Murphy.

“The North Channel is incredible hard,” said former GB triathlete Philpott.

“There is something called Oceans Seven, consisting of the the hardest seven open water channel swims in the world. The English Channel is one of them but of the seven, only 21 people have ever done it. I have met a handful of them and when asked of the seven which is the hardest and they all say the North Channel.

“You could argue that it is considered the hardest