A LIFELONG dream to swim the English Channel has finally come true for 43-year-old schoolteacher Emily Ravenhill.

Emily, from Cannop, took around 17 hours to complete the 21-mile swim from England to France – and the words of Tour De France hero Bradley Wiggins helped spur her on through the darker moments.

She said: "On the morning before I set off I read an article about Bradley Wiggins in which he talked about 'locking the chimp in the cage' and cutting off the pain by turning yourself into a ruthless robot.

"There were times when I kept saying 'ruthless robot' to myself.

"Quoting Bradley Wiggins and war poetry helped a lot."

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