49-Year-Old Melanie Barratt Becomes First Blind Woman to Swim the English Channel
April 11, 2025

49-year-old Melanie Barratt becomes the first blind woman to swim the English Channel. Sometimes God parts the sea—and sometimes, He gives you the strength to swim through it.
Before the age of 50, Melanie Barratt did what many sighted swimmers wouldn’t dare attempt: she crossed the English Channel. Stroke by stroke, without a finish line in sight, without anything to anchor her but the voice of her husband in bone-conducting headphones and a kayak painted in bright colors she could just barely see.
Melanie Was Born Virtually Blind
RELATED: Blind Couple Gives Emotional ‘Climb Every Mountain’ Performance on BGT
Twelve hours and twenty minutes later, Melanie touched the shore of Cap Gris Nez Beach in France. “It was a dream come true,” she said, having finished faster than the expected 14-hour swim. “Halfway through the swim, I felt scared and sick. I didn’t think I was going to make it. But I had the most amazing team—and I was really determined.”
That determination was born out of years of hardship. Melanie was born virtually blind after her mom contracted congenital toxoplasmosis during pregnancy. She could only make out bold colors and shapes. “My life has been filled with challenges because of my blindness,” Melanie shared. “It often led me to feel isolated and unsure of myself.”
But God has this beautiful way of redeeming what the world calls broken.
She Struggled to Fit Into School
“I struggled to fit in at school, so I often turned to the pool as an escape,” Melanie recalled. The water became her refuge and eventually her runway. After winning multiple medals in the Paralympic Games, Melanie stepped away from competition—but not from purpose.
Years later, God called her back into the water. Open-water swimming scared her at first, but it set her free. “The shock of the cold made me aware of every single cell in my body,” she said. “It was freeing.”
Swimming the Channel was her Everest. And God met her in every wave.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE: Astounded Family Looks Into Their Backyard And Sees Bears In The Swimming Pool
Sports and Open Water Swimming Have Given Her Confidence
“Life is incredibly difficult being blind, and it’s very limiting, but sport and open-water swimming have given me a newfound confidence and made me proud of who I am,” Melanie said. “My husband and two boys always know I love to push myself and that I always need something to work towards, and I hope I’ve inspired others to do the same.”
Her story reminds us that bravery doesn’t always look like fearlessness. Sometimes it looks like swimming blind into the unknown, fully trusting the One who sees it all.
“When you pass through the waters, I will be with you.” Isaiah 43:2
WATCH: Paige King Johnson’s Acoustic ‘Why God Made Small Towns’ is a Must-Listen
Paige King Johnson’s Acoustic ‘Why God Made Small Towns’ is a Must-Listen from GodTube Music on GodTube.
LISTEN: Man Survived 90 Days at Sea Thought About His Mother | Woman in Heels Stops Robbery at Convenience Store With Martial Arts
h/t: Good News Network
Featured Image Credit: Facebook/Good News Network
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for Friendship for Those Who Are Lonely - Your Daily Prayer - April 25
Never underestimate the friend you have in Jesus. Yes, we are commanded to love others, but first, we must love God.
Today's Devotional
A Prayer for Friendship for Those Who Are Lonely - Your Daily Prayer - April 25
Never underestimate the friend you have in Jesus. Yes, we are commanded to love others, but first, we must love God.
Past Stories
- WWII Veteran Celebrates His 101st Birthday and 75 Years of Marriage to His Loving Wife
- 88-Year-Old Korean War Veteran and Great-Grandfather Graduates From College
- One Year After Losing Boys in a Fire, Parents Find Light in the Form of a Beautiful Blessing
- They Dress Up As Disney Princesses to Bring Joy and Hope to Sick Children, and it's Amazing
- This Couple Parents Triplets and Foster Sons from Wheelchairs, and It’ll Leave You Inspired
- Two-Year-Old is Found By Rancher's Dog After Walking 7 Miles From Home
- Couple Reunites 15-Year-Old Blind Dog With Owners After Finding Her in the Wilderness
- He Saved Her Life in a Pool Accident Five Years Ago, Now They Are Engaged
- Actress Chrissy Metz Left Hollywood For Nashville and She Couldn't Be Happier
- Stranger Helps 81-Year-Old Waitress Who Couldn't Afford to Retire, Now Her Prayers Have Been Answered
- 49-Year-Old Melanie Barratt Becomes First Blind Woman to Swim the English Channel
- 9-Year-Old Boy Remembered By Teacher and Community After Being Swept Away By Flood Waters
- 16-Year-Old Heard a Family's Cries and Saved Them From a House Fire
- Family Grows From 4 to 8 Overnight After Welcoming Identical Quadruplet Daughters
- Little Girl With Autism Reminds Others of Snow White and Her Connection to Animals
- Candace Cameron Bure Shares Fantastic News That Former Co-star, Dave Coulier, is Cancer-Free
- Soldier is Reunited With the Dog She Served With While Deployed
- Her Grandfather Kept a Log of Every Memory He Had With Her Grandmother, and It's Precious
- This 30-Year-Old Feline Might Just Be the World's Oldest Cat
- Special Messages About Love From Kindergarten Class Displayed at Teacher's Wedding
- A Sneaky Brown Tree Snake Slithers Into An Oven in Australia, and Luckily Doesn't Get Cooked
- Florida Man Meets the Son Who Had Been Searching For Him For Almost 40 Years
- Four-Year-Old Sends Out a Message in a Bottle, Receives Reply Less Than Two Weeks Later
- Delivery Driver Saves Woman's Life After Double Checking When Something Didn't Seem Right
- Woman in Heels Stops Robbery at Convenience Store With Her Impressive Martial Arts Skills
- Man That Survived More Than 90 Days at Sea Thought About His Mother Every Single Day
- Quick Thinking 9-Year-Old Saves Choking Friend During Snack Time Emergency
- Video Store Owner Creates 'Christina's Corner' For a Long-Time Customer
- Texas Man Gets Married in the Hospital After Kidney Transplant
- A Bride to Be and Her Best Friend Have Plane to Themselves and Enjoy Every Minute of it
- Dogs Come to School to Help Comfort Young Students Affected by the Eaton Fire
- Toddler Braves the Dark to Save His Great-Grandma
- All Four of These Best Friends Now Live On the Same Street and It's Amazing
- Woman Finds the Most Precious Message Inside Her Thrift Store Purchase
- Mom is Hit By a Piece of Power Tool On Her Way to Walt Disney World
- Veteran Who Loved Burger King Honored With His Own Chair
- Toddler Using Old Phone Calls 911 For Donuts and Gets a Sweet Surprise
- Hospital Hosts Special Father-Daughter Dance for Young Girl Who Missed the One at Her School
- Carl Thomas Dean, Dolly Parton's Husband of Almost 60 Years, Passes Away at 82
- Woman Donates Her Kidney to Help Save Prom Date From 35 Years Ago
- Couple Thank and Befriend Man Who Saved Their House From a Wildfire
- After 84 Years of Marriage, This Couple Just Broke a Record, and Share Some Great Advice
- Woman Gives Birth On Plane With the Help of a Flight Attendant
- Married For 68 Years, This Husband Does This Simple Sweet Thing For His Wife Every Night
- A Couple in Their 90s Spent 73 Years Apart, Now They Are Engaged
- Woman Reunites With Toddler She Saved From Drowning Back in 1961
- Three Superhero Teens Saved Man on Railroad Tracks After Spotting Him From Their Classroom
- Father and Son Are Able to Survive Night in the Utah Wilderness After Finding a Backpack
- Top Resurrection Sunday Songs You Must Listen To This Year
- Grumpy Grey Seal Takes Over Hotel Room in the Netherlands, To Take a Nap
Top Music Videos

Bill and Gloria Gaither Guy Penrod's Stirring Live Performance of 'Then Came The Morning'

Alabama Live Performance of 'Because He Lives' by Alabama

Danny Gokey Official Music Video For Uplifting ‘I Got You’ Danny Gokey

Jeremy Camp Jeremy Camp Lyric Video for Powerful ‘Again’

Brooke Ligertwood Brooke Ligertwood Moving 'Calvary's Enough' Live Performance
Blog
At GodTube, you’ll find daily inspirational videos to lift your spirits and encourage you in your walk with God. Popular videos include worship music from your favorite Christian artists, cute videos with adorable kids and animals, hilarious videos from Christian comedians, user-uploaded videos, and clean viral videos to brighten your day.