One of the world's greatest swims was successfully conquered by Epsom and Ewell's Sports Personality of The Year.

Mickey Helps swam the historic Kinneret Lake in Israel, known as the Sea of Galilee, in Israel, in a time of seven hours. .

It was a challenge he set himself after passing out just a kilometre from the English shoreline when he swam to France and back in 2016.

Mickey spent two weeks in a High Dependency Unit; he had been swimming for 43 hours straight, a total of 92.4 miles, in bad weather and strong currents.

The latest challenge was a lot less traumatic, Mickey said: "It was lovely and warm, about 22 degrees, in the sea it's at best 17 degrees, more like 10 degrees.

"The downside is you can't get the buoyancy from salt water.

Mickey set off for the rarely attempted swim at 3am to avoid the worst of the Middle Eastern sun, powering through through the head winds in aid of the British Heart Foundation.

Despite being situated just two miles from the Israeli-Syrian border, Mickey experience no disruption and said people were "just getting on with their lives".

"You hear stories when you talk to the people, they could hear the bombs dropping.

"The people have been fantastic and their new friendship has made the event even more special."

"I am pleased so many people have chosen to help by supporting the great work of British Heart Foundation and I have exceeded my original target.”

The Epsom-based swimmer has swum the English Channel twice, the Gibraltar Straits (Europe to Africa), The Bosporous (Europe to Asia), as well as swimming 40 miles around the Channel Island of Jersey.

Mickey undertakes the challenges in memory of his former Water Polo Captain who passed away from a heart condition in January 2016.