Stoneleigh endurance athlete Mick Helps is bracing himself for one of the biggest challenges of his career as he prepares to tackle the Lake Windermere two-way marathon swim race in the Lake District this Sunday.

The gruelling race covers 21 miles and is expected to attract a high quality field of young and experienced open water swimmers from around the world.

Looking ahead to the challenge, Helps said: “The event is seen as one of the most challenging competitive swims in the world.

“The conditions are tough, with the water temperatures around 15c and the race being run at night, making navigation a challenge for the crew.

“And, remember, this is a 21-mile race and I will be up against experienced open water swimmers, all of whom would have had to qualify to enter the event.“ Helps has stellar marathon swimming experience, having successfully completed a solo swim across the Channel in 2007 before coming third in the Zurich Masters swim race, which involved swimming the length of Lake Zurich in Switzerland last year.

He added: “Each race over these distances is different and how one prepares and the conditions on the day are far more important than having just covered the distance previously.

“I like to prepare and plan in great detail for these big races and don’t leaving anything to chance.

“That is why I’m also being supported by an experienced crew who have supported me on previous events, including the Channel, and who have grown to know how to get the best out of each other.”

Helps is raising money for the Help for Heroes charity, and hopes his efforts will inspire people to support him.

He added: “Help For Heroes does wonderful work for servicemen and women both directly and through its support of other service charities and, in these troubled times, I wanted to do something to show my appreciation of Help For Heroes and those they help.”

If you would like to support Helps by making a donation, or to find out more about the challenge, then visit thehelps.co.uk, where there are details on the event and the charity.