A TWO-time olympian has set a new world record after becoming the first person in history to swim Britain’s three biggest lakes in the form of Loch Lomond in Scotland, Lake Windermere in England and Lake Bala in Wales.

Hector Pardoe, the grandson of John Pardoe, the MP for North Cornwall between 1966 and 1979 and still lives in the Trevone area where Hector also trains, completed the three swims that comprise their total distance of 34.5 miles in a combined swim time of 12 hours and 15 minutes.

With travel time, the challenge was completed in just under 24 hours.

In the process of his swim, Mr Pardoe, 24 broke the previous world record for swimming Loch Lomond by 90 minutes, completing the 21.6 miles in a new record of seven hours and 46 minutes.

After his success, Hector Pardoe said: “"I knew that I had the physical capability to undertake and complete this feat – but as with all endurance challenges it’s largely a case of mind over matter and controlling any negative thoughts. At one point, near the start of my Loch Lomond Swim, I saw what looked like a large pike just a few metres away and I started to panic. I thought it might be attracted to the red lights attached to my ankles, so out of fear of being mistaken for prey in distress, I quickly turned the lights off and tried to calm my nerves.

“Towards the end of my Loch Lomond Swim having been in the water for over 6 hours in the dark I was cold and my hands and lower arms had swollen – but I got into my bunker zone and just kept telling myself to take one stroke at a time.

Alongside the successful challenge, Mr Pardoe has raised over £6,000 for Surfers Against Sewage.