A FIREFIGHTER has raised more than £10,000 for young cancer patients by swimming the length of Loch Lomond.

Simon Connolly, 52, from Manchester has now added his name to a list of less than 70 people who have successfully swam the 24 mile distance.

Simon completed the swim, which is the equivalent of 1,540 lengths of the pool, at around 9pm on Monday, September 18 after 16 hours in the water.

The achievement saw Simon raise £10,500 for CLIC Sargent, which supports young people with cancer and their families.

Simon lost his brother John to cancer in 2016 and was inspired to support CLIC Sargent and raise as much as he could.

The swim caps months of training and fundraising, which the Manchester Airport firefighter, said had taken over his life.

He said: "I honestly can’t believe I’ve done it.There were definitely some dark moments in the water when I thought that I wouldn’t be able to complete it. You think about packing it in, but then it’s just a case of carrying on, stroke by stroke.”

Simon had to enter the water in the middle of the night, due to the length of the swim and in order to maximise his daylight time on the water and Simon said swimming in total darkness was a strange experience.

He said: "It was like swimming into a black hole, It was a daunting start to the whole thing."

A support boat, holding some of Simon's family and friends, accompanied his throughout the swim. They supplied him with food and drink while he was in the water as he burned over 10,000 calories during the swim.

However, 11 miles in, Simon took ill and started vomiting and almost had to give up.

He said: "That was the hardest time. I just couldn’t stop being sick, and I was floating in the water, feeling ill and thinking everything was all over.”

But determined to finish he pushed on to cover the remaining 13 miles. The final two miles were completed in total darkness, the way the swim had started.

Speaking after the swim Simon, said: "John was 58 when we lost him to cancer and things happened very quickly. It really makes you realise how quickly your whole life can change.

"I can’t imagine how devastating a diagnosis of cancer could be for a child or a young person so I think it’s really important they get that support.

“While I was in the water I kept thinking about the children the charity supports and the young patients fighting through chemotherapy and ringing the bell on their ward when they have finished their treatment.

"I just thought to myself, if these kids can get through something like that, who am I to complain about this."

Simon's colleagues at Manchester Airport offered their congratulations on his "fantastic achievement".

Rad Taylor, operations director for Manchester Airport, said: "It's an incredible feat for an incredible cause and we're sure the money raised will be put to good use by CLIC Sargent."

Rachel Kirby-Rider, director of Income and Engagement at CLIC Sargent, said: “Wow – what an incredible achievement. We are absolutely blown away by Simon’s hard work and dedication to helping us fight for young lives struck by cancer.

“This has really been an inspirational challenge, which would have pushed him to the absolute limit. Every penny raised will help us be there for these young cancer patients right from the point of diagnosis and we really can’t thank him enough.”

Simon set up a JustGiving page to help him in his fundraising efforts. To support Simon visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/simonswimslochlomond