LONG-distance swimmer Mark Blewitt is to brave near-freezing waters in a first event of its kind in this country.

The swimming champ, who travels to Rossendale every week to train with Haslingden Swimming Club, will compete in the South London Swimming Club's Cold Water Swimming Championships on January 21 and 22.

He is set to take part in all of the four individual events on the first day but is having to miss the second day's relay after realising the date clashed with his mother-in-law's birthday party.

The 37-year-old had originally teamed up with three swimmers from Austin, Texas, to form an Anglo-American relay team.

The event at Tooting Bec Lido, which is sanctioned by the Amateur Swimming Association, is a first for Britain with cold water championships more common in Scandinavia, Finland and Russia.

In Britain, cold water swims are traditionally social events held on Boxing Day and New Year's Day.

Mark's entry is fresh from his success in conquering the longest race in Europe when he smashed his own breaststroke record at the same time.

He finished third in the gruelling 21-mile men's freestyle two-way Windermere course at the biennual event.

Mark made it across the finishing line in an impressive time of 14 hours 17 minutes and 34 seconds four minutes 34 seconds faster than the last time he competed.

Mark competed on Boxing Day in a "warm-up" at Budworth Mere, Warrington at the Warrington Dolphins Icebreaking 100m swimming race.

The swimmer said: "The water was 1C, just above freezing. I'm expecting in January it will have warmed up a little bit to about 3 or 4C.

"Your breath gets taken away from you. But once you get over the shock of getting in you have achieved half your goal. As it's the first one of its kind in Britain I feel I should support the event.

"It's the temperature that's the big one but I have done enough of this kind of thing to know I can do it. I'm pretty confident I will do well."

Mark, formerly of Accrington but now living in Preston with his wife Andie, and two children Ellie Mae and Max, is presently British Long Distance Breaststroke Swimmer of the year after setting a breaststroke world record swimming the length of Loch Lomond in 17hr 50minutes.

He also holds the world record for swimming the Lake Windermere course breaststroke and in 2002 swam the Channel.