Bondi Rescue and Home and Away star on undertaking 'biggest challenge yet' from Dover

Former Home and Away star and Bondi Rescue lifeguard Ryan 'Whippet' Clarke swam the English Channel from Dover on Monday (22 August) in his 'biggest challenge' to date.

Ryan described the challenge as the 'mecca of swimming.'

"There is a lot of history around Dover especially and the harbour and swimming the English channel", he said.

"The statue of Matthew Webb is there, the first person to ever swim it and it was a pleasure for me to be able to come over."

Ryan embarked on the challenge to raise money for the Australian charity Ocean Heroes.

The charity works to improve the wellbeing of children who live with Autism and their families.

Ryan explains that the charity was a big motivation for taking on the channel swim: "I came over with a goal of swimming the English Channel but also soaking up that history and raising money for Ocean Heroes was very important to me."

Ryan spent 9 days in Kent preparing for the swim with his family and support crew of fellow Bondi lifeguard Andrew "Reidy" Reid and Michael "Murph" Renford - whose father was Des Renford, who swam the English Channel 19 times.

To prepare for the swim Ryan trained in Deal and Dover Harbour.

"Swimming in any harbour is not the most beautiful place in the world.

"There is a bit of petrol floating around and a few other fumes and smells, but there is a lot of history here and it's a beautiful place in a beautiful part of England.

"It was great to be able to come and be blessed with warm weather."

It's hasn't all been about swimming the Channel though.

Ryan and his family have been able to get out and do some sightseeing "We went to Broadstairs which was a beautiful beach and nice for the kids to get a bit of sand between in-between the toes and run around.

"We went too Canterbury, we checked out Deal and we checked out Dover.

"We got to Folkestone where my boat went from.

"It was nice to look around it's different to home."

Ryan managed to complete the Channel swim in under ten hours, "The channel swim on Monday was everything i thought it would be. It was hard.

"It was long. It was a little warmer than I expected, which was a blessing, but it took me nine hours and 40 minutes which I am pleased with.

"I thought it would take me longer but I had a good day out there and I had a great support crew on the boat, so I knew I was in safe hands and could just go for it."

English waters were new territory for the lifeguard from New South Wales where sharks such as great whites and bull sharks are regulars:

"It was nice knowing there were no sharks. That was a really nice thought to be swimming across the channel and not to have to worry about sharks!

It's been the hottest summer on record on the South Coast, with many people trying out swimming in the sea for the first time.

As a seasoned lifeguard who has spent the last 18 years rescuing people on Australia's busiest beach, Ryan has some advice for those who want to give it a go: "My advice for anyone swimming in the ocean is to know your ability.

"If you can't swim then be very careful going in and stay knee deep. If the water looks like it is moving at all don't go in.

"If you are at the beach look for the red and yellow flags, it's the safest place.

"Look out for your friends and if you are by yourself don't swim, always have a buddy with you and take care.

"We want to enjoy the ocean but we also want to respect it and make sure we stay self."