If you're attempting a swimming challenge only six people have achieved before, it helps to have an Olympic champion as a cousin.

Fortunately Meopham's Jessica French has just that, in the form of 2020 Olympic Gold medal winning pentathlete Kate French, also from the Gravesend area.

The two will train together before Jessica attempts to swim non stop around the Isle of Wight in August.

British army officer Jessica will embark on the 62 mile swim alongside army colleague David Baxter - the UK Defence’s only full time neurosurgeon - raising money for two charities close to their hearts.

The intrepid duo began swimming together two years ago, and writing on their JustGiving page Jessica explained how the idea of the challenge grew.

"Since then, every Sunday morning, we swam in any bit of cold water we could find," she said. "It became our 'club' and kept us all going throughout the pandemic.

"After nearly a year of (often dark!) Sunday morning swimming, we were ready for a challenge and to do some serious fundraising for charities we felt strongly about supporting.

"Circumnavigating the Isle of Wight is a crazy swim. It's 62 miles starting in Bembridge and will take us up to 32 hours. We will be the seventh and eighth people to have ever done it continuously. This swim is not going to be easy."

And she added: "We are 'racing the tide' around the Isle of Wight."

The waters around the Isle of Wight present some of the most challenging tides to navigate for sailors and swimmers alike, and the pair plan to swim in late August with the largest spring tide of the year.

The strategy will gives them the best chance of completing the swim, but will pit them against tides of 4.5 knots per hour tides if they mistime the challenge or lag behind.

With training well under way, Jessica and David have recently completed a 24hr relay swim in Shepperton, Surrey, and while tougher than expected Jessica said it had been an "eye opener" for the rest of their training.

She also explained her backing of the charity REORG, a charity supporting military and emergency service veterans with sports equipment and memberships to give them a 'post military family'.

"I am an Army Education and Training Services (ETS) Officer who believes deeply in supporting military personnel as they transition back to civilian life, something the ETS delivers to Army personnel."

"We are trying to raise money for two charities that uphold these values.

"Reorg is a charity that 'helps those who helped us'. They were set up to support veterans and expanded their remit to help ex-emergency service personnel.

"Much like the comradeship we have gained from swimming in a group, Reorg places veterans, who have suffered life changing injuries as a result of their service, in a 'fitness family' with others who have severe physical or mental health problems.

"Reorg uses inclusive group sports to build resilience and provide emotional support for its users in place of the service family they once had."

Swimming constitutes one of the six disciplines in the modern pentathlon, and Jessica explained how she was hoping to tap into her Olympian cousin's skills prior to the endeavour.

"We grew up doing modern pentathlon together before I joined the Army," she said. "I’m hoping she will give us some top tips on swim technique – I think her Olympic gold medal more than qualifies her!"

To sponsor the swim visit www.justgiving.com/fundraising/Racing-the-tide-IoW and follow the duo on Instagram at www.instagram.com/racingthetideiow