A long distance swimmer from West Kilbride who is undertaking a global charity challenge had to be rushed to hospital after completing his latest crossing.

Andy Donaldson has already smashed swims across the English Channel, North Sea and the Cook Strait – where he set a new world record earlier this year.

The 31-year-old is tackling seven of the globe’s hardest channel crossings in his aim to raise $100,000 for mental health charities.

Andy's most recent challenge saw him take on the 420-kilometre Molokai Channel swim in Hawaii.

He completed the crossing in 15 hours and 50 minutes.

However, the athlete admits the swim was one of the hardest of his life - and saw him having to be taken to hospital after reaching the finish line.

“After the swim I was whisked off to urgent care because my throat had swollen up during the crossing," he said.

“The uvula at the back of my throat had blown up and it started to block my airways, so I was put on a drip.

“The doctors thought it might have been an allergic reaction from swallowing a jelly fish, but we still aren’t really sure what happened.

“Thankfully we got it seen to and this will probably go down as the swim I’m most proud of in my life.”

Andy admits that despite the struggles of the swim, it is one that he will remember forever after facing unrelenting waves and strong headwinds.

“That was some swim," he said. "There were unrelenting currents, surface chop, brutal swells and 20 plus knot winds.

“It was a swim that seemed to have everything. I was being thrown around like a rag doll in a washing machine.

“It really took everything to keep going and get to the finish, but in a funny way I’m really glad things happened as they did.

“Times and records are not what it is about. If I had come here and blasted out a fast swim I would never have learned anything.

“This will probably be the swim I’m most proud of in my entire life. I never gave in and I’m so happy about that.”

Andy is taking on seven of the world’s most challenging channel crossings, with four completed so far and three to go.

He has raised tens of thousands of dollars so far, and is hoping to raise $100,000 to benefit the Black Dog Institute, which undertakes studies around the world to better understand mental health.

You can donate at www.teamblackdog.org.au/fundraisers/oceansseven.