AN autistic Minehead teenager swam for a marathon 12 hours to raise more than £1,200 to support the town’s St Michael’s Swimming Pool.

Seventeen-year-old Chloe Ellis, who also has ADHT and other connected conditions, moved with her family from Essex to Minehead two years ago.

Chloe, who has an assistance dog, could not even take herself out of the house when she first moved to the town but was always passionate about swimming.

When she discovered St Michael’s pool in Watery Lane she made use of it to ‘deregulate’, which her mother Wendy Ellis said was a ‘Godsend’.

The volunteer-run pool has recently had new flooring installed and a pool cover to improve safety and reduce heat loss, with a new heat pump to cut electricity bills, which cost £35,000 and used up funding reserves.

The volunteer committee is now fund-raising to replace the pool structure itself, which trustee Sarah Butterworth said was ‘a major undertaking, but one we believe is essential for ensuring St Michael’s Pool remains a vibrant community resource for years to come’.

Chloe’s swim took place on Monday (October 27) and brought in £1,255 which will help the committee through the coming winter months.

She said: “Swimming helps my mental health and gives me peace where the world never stops.

“It helps build the strength in my muscles to help keep my joints in place and keep them from dislocating.”

Chloe told the BBC after finishing the swim: “Every muscle in my body hurts.”

Mrs Ellis said Chloe could not manage without swimming, which helped to make her joints stronger so did not need to use her wheelchair as much.

The pool serves the children of St Michael’s School and is also open to the whole community, offering a range of fitness classes.

People can still help Chloe’s fund-raising through her GoFundMe page.