** Image from the Western Daily Press **

Congratulations to Sherston Schoolgirl Amy Pointer for completing her inspirational sponsored swimming challenge to raise money for Help for Heroes.

Sunday 29th January 2012 saw ten year old Amy’s mammoth task come to an end, as she completed her final mile and 1455 lengths of Malmesbury Activity Centre pool. This is over 23 miles, which is the equivalent of the entire length of Loch Ness! The challenge is in aid of Help for Heroes in honour of her brother Joe who is 19 and training with the Grenadier Guards and is likely to be serving in Afghanistan next year.

To cheer her on during her last lengths were various supporters, class mates, journalists and also a very special guest, Olympic Gold Medalist Duncan Goodhew.

Amy, who started this incredible undertaking back in October 2011, has been fitting in her swims often before school, and sometimes a mile at a time, said “It’s a really exciting and it just feels like a great thing to be doing. My dad supports me and helps me keep on going”.

Andy Pointer, Amy’s proud father said “It is an incredible achievement and everyone is bowled over by it”.

To add to the celebrations, Amy has managed to surpass her ambitious fund raising goal of £750. Her current total is over £900 and people can still give money by going to the website www.justgiving.com/amysheroes.

To sum it up, Amy said “With my Loch Ness Swimming Challenge now completed, I would like to thank you for supporting me and Help for Heroes. In fact I can’t thank you enough! Together we have raised nearly £1000! That’s four times what I wished for when I started my swim back in November. Sometimes, I didn’t think that I would ever be able to finish. I learned a lot about positive thinking and how you can achieve anything if you want to badly enough.”

Well done Amy!