The clock is counting down for one determined Orpington man who is preparing to swim the English Channel in a bid to raise £10,000 for a charity close to his family's heart.

Chris Leek started his training journey last summer after deciding to take on the mammoth 21-mile solo swim from Shakespeare’s Cliff in Dover to Cap Gris Nez on the French coast in July.

The 29-year-old, of Finucane Drive, was inspired to fundraise for Parkinson’s UK after his dad Dennis was diagnosed with the neurological condition 12 years ago.

He told News Shopper: “It’s a bit different to running long distance, with the swim if I touch the boat or get on the boat it’s a fail, you can’t stop to have a breather.

“It’s a non-stop endurance event.”

On top of the physical strains of swimming the Channel, Mr Leek is training his body to cope with the 14-17C temperatures and the mental challenge of 10 plus hours in the water.

He added: “I’m getting physically and mentally trained to ensure I can withstand the cold.

“If you don’t train your body, a normal person would get hypothermia in 20 minutes.

“It’s about really committing yourself to the challenge and I’m fortunate enough to have a team behind me to help me through it.”

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Chris Leek preparing for a training swim in Dover.

Born and raised in Orpington, the former Ravens Wood school pupil used to swim for Kent as a teenager until he broke his arm aged 14.

And as an adult his training journey hasn’t been without its bumps in the road, after he was forced to undergo shoulder surgery which has brought a temporary halt to his training.

The enormity of the challenge quickly dawned on Mr Leek when he first got in the water at the Dover harbour last summer.

He said: “The first training session in Dover I was meant to go for a 90 minute swim.

“After 10 seconds I thought 'what the hell am I doing?'

“I was so cold. After the swim I thought ‘I think I have done the wrong thing here signing up for this’.”

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After being reassured by his family Mr Leek was motivated to throw himself into training, and is now more determined than ever to complete the challenge in under 14 hours.

He said: “It’s my last challenge before I settle down and have a family, I really wanted to push my body to the limit.

“I have got that added incentive of raising money for charity for my dad.”

Later this year his dad is due to undergo pioneering brain surgery, which has only been performed a dozen of times, in the hope of slowing down the symptoms.

After holding two successful fundraising events in September and January Mr Leek is well on his way to beating his £10,000 target.

To support his charity challenge click here.