It took nearly 11 hours, but a 17-year-old girl from Kelowna, B.C., has completed her gruelling goal of swimming around an island off the coast of Vancouver.

Instead of resting, Emily Epp is now reaching for another milestone 香蕉视频直播� she plans to swim across the English Channel next month and she香蕉视频直播檚 raising thousands of dollars for a children香蕉视频直播檚 hospice in the process.

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Emily continuously swam about 30 kilometres around Bowen Island on Saturday, braving the frigid waters of Howe Sound in just a bathing suit, a swim cap and goggles.

The tough conditions were meant to prepare the teen for what she香蕉视频直播檒l face during her international swim in mid-July.

The Channel Swimming Association says on its website that the English Channel is 香蕉视频直播渃onsidered by many to be the ultimate long distance challenge,香蕉视频直播� because the approximately 32 kilometre stretch hosts a variety of difficult conditions, including cold waters, high waves and occasional debris such as seaweed and wood planks.

Swimming off the coast of B.C. isn香蕉视频直播檛 easy either.

Cheryl Epp said Emily faced rough waters, cool weather and nausea during her swim on Saturday, but never once wanted to quit.

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Emily has spent months training in Okanagan Lake and with her competitive swim team, but Saturday marked the first time she ever swam for more than six and a half hours continuously, her mom said.

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Now Emily will begin tapering down the time and length of her swims in order to allow her body to rest and repair before she heads to England next month.

Swimming the English Channel will be more than just a cool experience for the teen. Emily is also using it as an opportunity to raise money for Canuck Place, a children香蕉视频直播檚 hospice that has been an important place for the Epp family.

Cheryl Epp said they started receiving care there about five years ago for their daughter Elan, who lost all of her motor control following a viral infection when she was 18 months old.

香蕉视频直播淓lan was pretty sick at that point,香蕉视频直播� she said of her middle daughter, who is now 15. 香蕉视频直播淲e were having a lot of issues with pain management and feeding. And really just helping her to have the best quality of life that she can have.香蕉视频直播�

Epp said the program has improved Elan香蕉视频直播檚 life dramatically.

香蕉视频直播淔or our family, Canuck Place was life changing for all of us,香蕉视频直播� she said. 香蕉视频直播淎s a parent, just seeing her be happy again was huge.香蕉视频直播�

Elan香蕉视频直播檚 success is what inspired Emily to 香蕉视频直播渄o whatever she can香蕉视频直播� to help other kids, Cheryl Epp said. Swimming just seemed like the natural option, she added.

So far, Emily has raised more than $4,000 for her English Channel swim and a Vancouver-based foundation is matching all the donations she brings in.