A YOUNG adventurer is hoping to cause a splash as she attempts to swim the distance of Peru's largest lake in a bid to raise funds for a charitable trip to the country.

Twenty-two-year-old Sarah Kelly is planning to visit Peru in January 2007 with the organisation Global Adventures Project, which organises gap year programmes abroad.

Her visit to Huaraz - nine hours drive from the capital Lima - is set to last three months, during which time she will work with poor and underprivileged people. But before she gets to jet out to the South American country, the resident of Hill Avenue, Battenhall, Worcester, must raise £5,000.

Now the assistant manager at clothes store Fat Face in Worcester's High Street has set herself the task of swimming the distance of Lake Titicaca - 106 miles or 7,000 lengths - to raise cash for her trip.

The sporty shop worker, who is also raising funds through her job, began her challenge, which is the equivalent of swimming the English Channel five times - earlier this year and has been asking friends, work colleagues and family to sponsor her for her task.

She visits the Worcester Swimming Pool in the city's Sansome Walk about three times a week and has already swam some 2,000 lengths, raised about £475 in sponsorship and hopes to complete the distance by November.

She said: "It take a hell of a lot of motivation to keep it up every week but I've got the final goal in mind so I'm quite determined to get there.

"I suppose it's a bit of a clich but I've been pretty fortunate in that I've been able to go to university and so on and I want to be able to give something back."

Sarah's work in Peru will involve constructing buildings, teaching English to underprivileged children and helping with the conservation of the Amazon rainforest and its inhabitants.

Anyone wanting to sponsor her can visit: www.securegiving.co.uk/sarahkelly