At the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, Keri-anne Payne won the silver medal in the inaugural 10k marathon swim. As one of the most memorable events of the Beijing Olympics, the marathon swim led to an explosion public interest and participation in open water swimming events in the UK and worldwide.

Keri-anne’s stature in this exciting new sport heightened when she was crowned world champion at the 2009 World Championships in Rome. Her success, and natural media-friendly presence, has enabled her to be at the forefront of the sport’s ever growing appeal.

This trend is set to continue as Keri-anne goes for gold in the 10k marathon event in London 2012. It will be one of the most hotly anticipated events in London, due to Great Britain’s successes in the event in Beijing and the inspiring venue, The Serpentine in London’s Hyde Park.

Out the water, Keri-anne has a strong family support and is an ambassador for Skill Force, a charity organisation that helps young people achieve vocational qualification through a range of activity based projects.

Keri-anne is studying a distance learning course at The London School of Journalism as part of a structured media training programme. With her glamorous image, Keri-anne looks destined to fulfil her long term aspirations of a career in broadcasting.