American woman becomes first person to swim across Channel four times non-stop

An American cancer survivor has become the first person to swim across the English Channel four times in a row.

Sarah Thomas, 37, completed the heroic feat of endurance at about 6.30am on Tuesday after more than 54 hours of swimming.

Her record-breaking achievement comes just a year after she completed treatment for breast cancer.

In a video live-streamed on Facebook, a small crowd of people could be seen cheering on the swimmer from Colorado as she made her final arrival to shore at Dover.

Supporters congratulated Ms Thomas on her remarkable swim, handing her champagne and chocolate.

In the video, Ms Thomas admitted to feeling “a little sick” but said she had been encouraged to “keep going” by her husband and her team.

Ahead of the start of her epic challenge, Ms Thomas wrote that she was “scared” and admitted she was “going to need some luck”.

In a Facebook post made on Saturday, she dedicated the swim to “to all the survivors out there”, adding: “This is for those of us who have prayed for our lives, who have wondered with despair about what comes next, and have battled through pain and fear to overcome.

“This is for those of you just starting your cancer journey and those of you who are thriving with cancer kicked firmly into the past, and for everyone in between.”