Watch: Football legend Graeme Souness swims Channel after meeting girl with rare skin disease
Football legend Graeme Souness has completed a swim across the English Channel to raise £1m for charity.
The ex-Liverpool player was inspired to take on the challenge after meeting Isla Grist, 14, who suffers from rare skin disease Epidermolysis bullosa.
The 70-year-old broke down in tears during a BBC interview as he called it “the cruellest disease out there”.
Souness completed the 21-mile swim as part of a six-person relay team in 12 hours and 17 minutes.
He took part in the team challenge, which included Isla’s father, to raise money for Debra UK, which supports people with the disease, also known as butterfly skin.
Souness explained why he decided to swim the English Channel
Posting on Twitter, the charity offered its “huge congratulations” to Souness and his fellow swimmers.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast ahead of taking on the gruelling test of endurance, the former Rangers and Scotland player, who lives in Dorset, described meeting Isla from the Scottish Highlands.
He choked back tears as he described her as “the most unique person I’ve ever met”.
“She does this to me every time. She’s an inspiration to me – even at my age,” he said.
Image source, Debra
The former Scotland international said he and Isla have become firm friends over the years he has known her
Isla, from Black Isle, near Inverness, has had her condition since birth and has to be wrapped head to toe in bandages. These are changed three times a week in a procedure that is extremely painful.
Souness said he first became aware of the disease about five years ago. He said he had now become “mates” with Isla, whose courage was an inspiration to him.
“This disease… it’s the cruellest, nastiest disease. For someone so young to be so brave… and Isla’s aware of the impact this has on her mum and dad and she helps them,” he said.
“This is a very special young lady you’re in the company of, she really is, and I am… she gets me in tears every time I’m in her company.”
Special coverage of Graeme Souness’ Channel swim will feature on BBC Breakfast on Monday 19 June
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