A nine-year-old philanthropist  in the making swam the equivalent distance of the English  Channel to raise money for a spinal  injury charity after spotting an advert for the challenge at her local  pool.

Ella Pickstock, of Chester Road, Helsby,  has so far raised £180 by taking part in  the Aspire Channel Swim Challenge to  help people paralysed by spinal cord  injury lead independent lives.

The St Luke’s RC Primary School pupil  swam 22 miles over eight weeks, four  weeks earlier than the 12 week time  limit, and averaged around 236 lengths a  week at various pools around the area.

Ella said: “I was swimming one day  and I saw a banner at the swimming pool  advertising the challenge and I just  thought I would love to do that.

“At first my parents weren't so sure as  they said I would have to give up a lot of  free time and they were worried I would  get bored, but when they realised I was  serious they agreed and helped me to  sign up online.

“ I am really proud and so pleased. I  kept checking the amount I had raised  online and I would get really excited  each time it increased. 

Ella Pickstock in action
Ella Pickstock in action

The youngster was so dedicated to her  cause that she even gave up attending  Frodsham Junior Youth Club on Friday  evenings to get lengths in at the swimming pool.

She said: “Every time my mum was  free to take me swimming and the pool  was open I would go.

“On the Aspire website you had to log  your lengths and that would convert it to  miles for you with a little map that  showed you how many miles you had  done and how many were left to swim.   Every time I got closer to Calais on the  map I wanted to go swimming again to  get closer still.”

Ella loved doing the challenge, so much so  that she said she ‘would quite like to be able  to carry on with it’, and will ‘definitely’ do  more fundraising in the future.

Ella is urging other children who are  thinking of doing some fundraising to  ‘do it - it’s a brilliant thing to do’.

Ella’s mum Michelle Pickstock said:  “"We are so proud of Ella for taking on  this swimming challenge, and the determination she has shown to complete  it.  We'd like to thank everyone who has  kindly sponsored her.”

If you would like to sponsor Ella, visit

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