A 16-year-old schoolgirl from Ponsanooth was first home out of all the women at the Castle to Castle Swim last week, despite never having entered the race before.

Emily Theobald has plenty of experience in the water, being an active member of Portreath Surf Life Saving Club, and she trained hard - up to seven times a week - in preparation for the race.

“I knew there was going to be some fast girls in it because there always are,” she said.

So the teen, who has competed in the 800m Trident Challenge at Gyllyngvase Beach and came first out of all the females in the Brighton Classic open water swim last year, started out with high hopes and a steely resolve.

After entering the chilly waters of the Carrick Roads she swum hard and true, but had no idea that she was amongst the leaders of the pack until making the final push for St Mawes.

“It was tough, really tough,” she said, “It was difficult to see anything, the |sun was really bright and it was |difficult to pick out swimmers to try and follow them. But it was fun, I enjoyed it.”

In 24 minutes and 55 seconds Emily was at the finish line, with clear water between her and the next fastest woman and just one minute and 46 seconds behind fastest swimmer Haddon Page.

“I aim for the top three in most swims I do, just so I have got something to aim for,” she said, but even so her feat didn’t really hit home at first.

The first five minutes after getting out of the water “were a bit crazy,” Emily said, “because you have just got people coming up to you saying well done.”

But she soon realised she must have been amongst the fastest when she “looked at the five guys in front of me and that was the only people I could see.”

Her grandmother, Angela Tremayne, said she was very proud of Emily, especially as she only recently finished her GCSEs at Penryn College and has been accepted as a lifeguard by the RNLI.

“It’s been a hell of a week for her,” she said.

Emily now plans to focus on her surf life saving, but “would like to think” she would give the Castle to Castle another go next year - if she’s not working it for the RNLI.