A British TV Host Tried to Run Across the Irish Channel in a Plastic Bubble

On Thursday, a British children’s television show host attempted a bizarre, yet impressive, stunt to raise money for a UK charity event. Lindsey Russell, 25, host of the long-running Blue Peter program on Britain’s CBBC, tried to run across the Irish Channel in a giant inflatable plastic bubble—a sport known “zorbing.” However, thanks to bad weather, Russell had to cut her arduous trip short, the BBC reports.

Russell’s “The Wave Runner” challenge was part of Sport Relief, a biennial sporting event hosted by British charity Comedy Relief and BBC Sport. Russell—who has already run the London Marathon and completed the Swiss Army’s Mountain Marathon—trained extensively for the crossing, and was only several miles away from completing the more than 20-mile journey between Donaghadee in Northern Ireland and Portpatrick Harbor in Galloway, Scotland. The wind and the tide grew too rough for Russell to continue, and a support vessel picked her up and brought her to shore.

Russell's impressive attempt was acknowledged by cheering fans, who greeted her when she hit dry land. Officials from Sports Relief also celebrated her effort. "Lindsey's Sport Relief challenge was always going to be incredibly hard, and zorbing many miles across the Irish Channel is a huge achievement,” Sport Relief said in a statement. For more details, check out a timeline of Russell’s crazy journey via CBBC News, or watch the above BBC News video of her running across the Irish Channel. 

All images courtesy of YouTube // BBC News.

[h/t BBC News]