Swimmer with fish phobia completes arctic challenge

"The fact that I'm allergic and scared of fish was not ideal," says a charity worker who completed an Arctic swim to inspire the young people she supports.

Roz Rapp from South Newington, near Banbury, completed the Arctic Circle challenge, which saw her swim from Finland to Sweden.

The 49-year-old who is "terrified of fish" said: "If you can face your fears you can get there."

She raised £4,000 for the Oxfordshire youth mentoring and life coaching charity she works with - the Iuventas Foundation - and said her challenge was "a good metaphor" for the work they do.

Rapp described herself as "not particularly fit" and admitted swimming was not her strength.

She said she found out about the 3km (1.8-mile) swim during lockdown and decided to do it this year alongside two friends.

She started her training just three months ago at Chipping Norton Lido but said the first time she entered open water was in Finland on the day of the challenge on 11 July.

She remembered: "I was really, really worried about it and I had a proper wobble earlier on in the day.

"When I got in the water I started to feel quite panicky and was short of breath.

"The fact that I'm allergic and scared of fish was not ideal either."

Rapp said, thankfully, the water on the day was murky so she did not see many fish in the Torne River which separates the two Scandinavian countries.

She said the water temperature was "bearable" because of the unseasonably hot weather.

"Had fish been my only issue then I think it would have been bigger in my head," she said.

Rapp said she was contending with hundreds of fellow swimmers and a strong current behind her.

"There were legs and arms going everywhere and I kept being pushed underwater so that was quite full on," she said.

The race started just after midnight and swimmers cross a one-hour time zone mid-swim.

It took Rapp 46 minutes, which meant she finished the swim before she started because Sweden is one hour behind Finland.

"I was just overjoyed to have made it and just really proud of myself for doing it and definitely conquering a fear," she said.

The mum of two said she had won the respect of her teenage sons and hoped it would show the 13 to 24-year-olds supported by her charity that they "practice what they preach".

The Iuventas Foundation provides young people with professional mentoring, life coaching and mental health support.

Rapp said: "Even in situations when you think you are completely without power, you actually do, within yourself have the ability to achieve things, to achieve your goals and to navigate some way through."