THEY came, they saw, they swam, they conquered.

The Cumbrian Open Water Swimmers - fittingly nicknamed the Mad Cows - completed one of their most gruelling challenges after swimming four kilometres in four lakes in four countries in just one day - raising more than £1,600 for the Great North Air Ambulance Service.

The epic challenge began shortly after midnight on Saturday, June 20 where Ann Henderson from Kendal and 16 other swimmers climbed in to the dark, uninviting waters of Lough Neagh in Northern Ireland.

Once changed back into dry clothes, it was on to the ferry across to Scotland where the swimmers took the plunge at Loch Ken where they managed to swim an extra 500m due to Henderson's enthusiasm and miscalculation!

With another quick change and a welcome bacon butty, it was across over the border into England for the penultimate swim in Ullswater.

There they were cheered on by friends and family, some of them even swimming along side.

With time running out, the swimmers arrived at Bala Lake in Wales at 8pm which proved to be the toughest of the lot, both mentally and physically.

"This is probably the toughest endurance event I have ever taken part in, especially being awake for over 42 hours since 7.30 on the Friday and only managing to grab 20 minutes or so here and there." said Henderson

"You have to dig deep and find the strength to go on when it would be so much easier to just stop. While I have been successful in competing in long endurance events, this is just so much more difficult, you have too much time between swims to think negatively.

"The camaraderie within the group, something that kept everyone going, is what stops the negative thoughts and something that will not be forgotten in a long time."