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Twins take on 'cathartic' swim after croc attack

Georgia & Melissa Laurie Georgia and Melissa Laurie hold green foil crocodile balloons, wearing swimming costumes and pink swim hats, smiling and have their thumbs up having just completed the swimGeorgia & Melissa Laurie
Georgia and Melissa completed the Thames Marathon swim to raise money for two charities

Twin sisters who survived a crocodile attack say completing a charity swim felt like a "beautiful, cathartic" moment.

Georgia Laurie, from Sandhurst in Berkshire, punched a crocodile in the face when it attacked her twin Melissa in Mexico in June 2021.

The pair both have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) from the attack and took part in the eight mile (13km) Thames Marathon swim from Henley to Marlow to raise money for charity.

Talking to the BBC, the sisters laughed recalling the moment Melissa accidentally punched a crocodile balloon during the event on Sunday.

Georgia and Melissa Laurie Georgia and Melissa Laurie walking away from the camera wearing their wetsuits, waterproof rucksack and bright pink swim hats touching each other's hands ahead of the raceGeorgia and Melissa Laurie
Georgia had found some of the training hard but said on the day she felt "strong"

They had the balloons attached to them for the entire swim and Melissa joked they had now "both punched one in the face".

Georgia added: "I think we saw the funny side of it in the end. Life doesn't have to be as deep and dark as whatever you're going through."

Melissa previously told the BBC Georgia had suffered a "wobble" while training for the swim because the setting had been "quite similar to what happened in Mexico".

But on the day, Georgia said they both "felt strong".

Georgia and Melissa Laurie The twins stand in front of the River Thames, wearing their wetsuits and holding the two crocodile balloons high fiving each otherGeorgia and Melissa Laurie
The twins got crocodile balloons to wear during the swim, which they said helped them keep track of each other

In June 2021, the twins had been swimming in a lagoon near Puerto Escondido, when Melissa was dragged under the water by the reptile.

Both were treated in hospital, where Melissa developed sepsis and was put into a medically-induced coma.

They said completing the charity swim felt like they had "finally drawn a line under the experience".

Georgia explained: "Obviously it's always going to be a part of our story, but it feels like we can move on."

The twins have so far raised more than £6,500 for PTSD UK and a Mexico charity called Compañeros en Salud, which provides training and medical supplies to communities in Chiapas.

Georgia and Melissa Laurie The twins are walking into the water, wearing their wetsuits and pink swim caps and have the crocodile balloons attached to them, there is a man in a red kayak on the water talking to themGeorgia and Melissa Laurie
Georgia and Melissa said they hope to someday plan a return trip to Mexico for a swim challenge

Melissa said they were the last to finish the race, but that meant they were swimming together and it felt like "the river was ours".

Georgia added: "It was more cathartic and poignant than I expected, it just felt like it was us tackling it alone."

As they approached the finish line to everyone clapping and cheering, Georgia said she had "burst into tears".

"I did feel quite emotional," she said. "While I was swimming, I was thinking about how lucky I am, that we were both still alive and able to do this, thinking of the people that were waiting for us and how special that is."

The twins are hoping to someday go back to Mexico and complete a swimming challenge there, saying there were "definitely more plans to come".

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