East Lothian woman swims 5 miles in her paddling pool for Edinburgh zoo

Jane McMenemy with her paddling pool

Jane McMenemy has raised nearly £1,000.

A woman in East Lothian has raised nearly £1,000 for Edinburgh Zoo by swimming five miles in her outdoor paddling pool.

Jane McMenemy of North Berwick swam the distance in her 10ft pool using a rope to keep her swimming on the spot.

Ms McMenemy undertook the challenge both as a goal to focus on during lockdown and as a way to raise money for the zoo, which is facing significant running costs with no ticket sales.

Jane McMenemy swam five miles for Edinburgh zoo

“I wanted to keep my mental focus on a physical target,” she said.

“And I know the zoo is struggling – I didn’t realise how much they spend a month just on food for the animals. I’ve been watching the webcams and falling in love with the panda, and my kids love it too.”

Ms McMenemy got the pool during lockdown as a 40th birthday present. As the ground in the back garden is too uneven, she has had to put the pool in the front.

“It’s in the front garden for all to see – the poor postie!” she said.

She began swimming 20 years ago, and has completed several long swims including the three miles to Bass Rock and 11 miles across lake Windermere.

She judged the five mile distance in the pool by timing herself and comparing it to her previous swims.

“This is obviously completely different, because you have a belt on,” she said.

“It almost feels as though you’ve got a parachute on under the water. It’s quite tough, it uses different muscles.”

You can donate to Jane McMenemy’s fundraiser here.