SWIMMERS in Monmouth have successfully swum the length of the Welsh Coastal Path without leaving their leisure centre.

Staff at the Monmouth base set themselves a huge challenge of swimming the entire distance of the Welsh Coastal Path, a massive 870 miles in total.

The challenge was organised to raise money for the British Heart Foundation and as a way of saying farewell to the swimming pool before it’s demolished and re-built with the new Monmouth Comprehensive School.

Starting in March and finishing earlier this month, swimmers were invited to fill in a donation form and submit a record of how far they swam each week.

The challenge saw swimmers of all ages take to the water with the oldest being 88-year-old former GP Dr Charlotte Jones.

Elizabeth Hicks, who also competed in the challenge, said Dr Jones inspired her. “The first week the results were published and her name was above mine!”, she said.

“She encouraged all the ladies in the changing room by coming so often and encouraged them to swim more”.

Hayley Thomas-Jones, duty manager at Monmouth Leisure Centre, said: “Dr Jones swam 3,122 lengths, an incredible amount.

“She really set the bar very high for all the other swimmers. I’d like to congratulate her on her amazing achievement.

“She was an inspiration and had such a good effect on the other swimmers.”

Below is a list of the top 10 swimmers with the distance of lengths achieved: Simon Dawson - 4,350; Elizabeth Hicks - 3,918; Steve Jones - 3,530; Sherry King 3,300; Dr Charlotte Jones 3,122; Colin Harris - 3,070; Janet Currie - 2,582; Faye McGrath - 2,468; Richard Currie - 2,254; Richard Ellis - 1,938

The lifeguards also got involved and the top three lifeguards who participated are: Jed Tattersdill - 1,238; Simon Jones - 956; Lucy Clarke - 740.