Our Impact News Paramedic attempts world record first for DSAA: The Tri-Lake Swim In June 2025, George Bell-Starr from Dorset, will attempt a world record first: the Tri-Lake Swim. Photo credit: Sam Carden / Climb South West What is the Tri-Lake Swim? The Tri-Lake Swim is a world-first endurance challenge combining extreme physical feats with a charitable cause. George will attempt to become the first person to swim 1,000 meters in the highest lakes across Scotland, England, and Wales. To reach the lakes, he will cover nearly a marathon’s worth of distance and over 3,000 metres of elevation gain. He will attempt to do this all in a timeframe of under 30 hours, while raising money for three charities: Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance (DSAA), The Duckling Pre-School and Cancer Research UK About George George is a paramedic, adventurer, and fundraiser who has worked with DSAA numerous times. He has even shadowed our clinical team and seen their life-saving work first-hand. Passionate about supporting a charity funded entirely by donations, he’s now taking on a world first challenge. What better way to give back! Photo credit: Sam Carden / Climb South West George kindly answered some of our questions, see what he has to say below! What inspired you to take on the Tri-Lake Swim as a world record attempt? "I've always enjoyed challenging myself physically. I've historically completed a few big challenges; I've swum 500km in 365 days and I've cycled from Aberdeen to Weymouth on a stationary bike whilst working on a ship. I have had a few friends do the three peaks challenge, and I really love swimming, so I thought about a way of combining the two events. An evening of googling later and I cannot find any trace of people swimming in the highest lakes in the three home countries, so the challenge was born." Can you describe the physical and mental preparation involved in training for this event? "Although it's called the tri-lake swim, the vast majority of the challenge will actually be spent on foot. I estimate that I will complete nearly a marathon in distance with over 3,000m of climbing elevation. With this in mind, I have spent many hours on the treadmill and regularly run 20-30km per week." What challenges do you anticipate facing during the swim? "I think the two biggest challenges are going to be the cold, I anticipate that the lakes will be much colder than the sea, and could be well into the single figure temperatures, possibly as low as 6 or 7 degrees! The other challenge will be the dark, I anticipate that the English lake swim will take place in the dark, so my support crew will have to keep an eye on my small, reflective safety buoy to keep me safe." We can't wait to follow George on his journey! Photo credit: Sam Carden / Climb South West Why DSAA? For George, the cause is as important as the challenge. “The fact that DSAA is totally funded by charity donations makes it even more important that I raise as much as I can. It’s incredibly rewarding to know the money is going to an amazing cause and directly impacting lives in Dorset and Somerset.” George's Message to Others When asked what advice he’d give to anyone inspired by his challenge, George doesn’t hesitate: "Go for it! Just do it. Try not to over think it, as sometimes you can get in your head and start doubting yourself. I truly believe that anyone can achieve anything." Every mission our air ambulance flies is funded by people like George. It costs around £3,500 per mission, and we receive no direct government funding. Manage Cookie Preferences