A SWIMMER hoping to become the first person to swim every mile of the Atlantic has joined part of his support team in Durham for fundraising events.

Ben Hooper, from London, is aiming to become the first person to swim 2,000 miles from Dakar in Senegal to Natal in North-East Brazil.

And he will be joined by Durham based therapist Esme Bebb, who will be helping to keep his body going, paddling alongside him as support.

She will also be carrying out environmental research by recording sightings of marine animals and collection samples for research into microplastics.

With just over 100 days before the team sets off from Africa, they were at Ramside Hall for a charity event promoting their swim and raising money for Maggies centre, in Newcastle, which supports people with cancer.

Karen Lynn, 52, from Sherburn, near Durham, signed up to swim a mile for the charity, which has been giving her support since she was diagnosed with terminal breast cancer in January.

She said: “It’s an amazing place. It would be nice to have somewhere like it attached to every hospital.

“I’ve got breast cancer which has spread to my bones so it was a massive shock but I’ve got to stay positive and keep going. What Ben is doing is amazing and so inspirational it was brilliant to swim with him.”

In the three and a half years since Mr Hooper set himself the challenge he has swam more than 12 million metres – the equivalent of six Atlantic oceans.

He said: “I try and train for reality but we don’t really know what’s going to happen. It’s going to be me facing a blue wall for up to 12 hours a day.

“I’m an ordinary guy trying to achieve something extraordinary. What keeps me going are all the people I’ve met who are terminally ill but are still challenging themselves.”