Lennard Lee, a 21-year-old medical student at Cambridge University, Manchester, has successfully swam non-stop across the 33.6km-wide English Channel on July 13 this year.  

He is the second Malaysian after Abdul Malek Mydin to swim across the channel. He recorded the feat in 9 hours and 45 minutes. Abdul Malek's time was 17 hours and 42 minutes, set on Aug 3 last year.

According to Lennard, Abdul Malik's feat had inspired him to take up the challenge and he was confident that he could do it. His attempt was also meant to help raise funds for Christie Hospital, a cancer hospital in Manchester and to build a new swimming pool for his university.

He raised RM7,000 and would split the money between the hospital and the university. He wanted to help Christie because he is concerned that one in every three persons contract cancer.

His uncle Dr Lee Yew Meng, a heart surgeon at a private hospital, also helped to raise funds for the Seck Kia Eenh Cancer Fund in Melaka. The donations had reached RM11,000.