A married record-breaking doctor duo who love pushing their physical and mental capabilities to the extreme in aid of charity are training for a new 'killer' challenge. Exeter-based Charlie Fleury and Adam Baker will swim a kilometre in the freezing waters of both the Arctic Circle and Antarctica wearing only a standard swimming costume, cap and goggles. To date, it is a feat that has only been achieved by 12 people due to the challenges of cold-water shock, hypothermia and the ever-present threat of orcas, leopard seals and polar bears.
Charlie, an A&E doctor at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, and Adam, who also had the same job but now works for Weston Hospiscare in Weston-super-Mare, have been training for the extreme challenge for around 18 months and will attempt it in September and November. They will need to push their bodies harder than ever before, requiring significant physiological adaptation to be able to even survive the extreme conditions where water temperatures are likely to be between -1 and 4 degrees Celsius. If they are successful, Charlie will be the first British woman to have conquered the challenge.
Read next: Beautiful Devon beaches to visit this summer that will take your breath away 21 great swimming pools, waterparks and lidos in Devon The couple, both aged 34, have the apt team name Emergensea Duo. They were the first married couple to complete the Talisker Whisky Atlantic Challenge - known as the world's toughest row - and then became the fir.