Shrewsbury nurse Melissa finishes her River Severn swim
Having endured storms, suffered hypothermia and even swallowed sewage, a Shrewsbury nurse has finally completed her swim along the whole of the River Severn.
Melissa Compton, who works at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, finished her mammoth 220-mile swim just before 3pm on Monday, on Severn Beach in the Bristol Channel.
The 38-year-old has seen a number of delays but said everything came together for a perfect finish.
"I'm ever so happy to have completed it," she said.
"I'm glad I sat it out last week to get this tide, the weather was absolutely perfect and it's been a lovely swim to finish."
She started the challenge in Wales in early June and originally set herself a three-week target, but was hospitalised in the midst of the effort with a sickness bug after swallowing sewage.
The strain of the challenge has also seen her suffering hypothermia and fatigue, while low tides scuppered her efforts at the tail end of her journey last week.
She has so far managed to raise more than £2,600 for the Versus Arthritis charity after funding for the stem cell treatment on her damaged knee.
