Pembrokeshire-born adventurer Tori James, who set off swimmers at Saundersfoot’s New Year’s Day Swim, is in the running for a national award.

The 25-year-old who became the youngest British woman (at that time) and the first Welsh woman to climb to the summit of Mount Everest, has been nominated as adventurer of the year in the National Adventure Awards 2016.

Author of ‘Peak Performance’, which describes her record-breaking climb to the summit, Tori is a multi-talented individual with a passion for extreme adventure in subzero temperatures.

She grew up on a farm in Pembrokeshire where she claims to have gathered much of her toughness for venturing outside in all weather.

In May 2005, she was a member of the Pink Lady PoleCats who became the first ever all-female team to complete The Polar Challenge, a gruelling 360-mile race to the Magnetic North Pole.

In 2010, she cycled the length of New Zealand, a total of 2,400km, unsupported from north to south. In June 2014, she was part of the Beeline Britain team who became the first to travel in a straight line from Land’s End to John O’Groats in aid of BLESMA (the British Limbless Ex-Servicemen’s Association). Their 1,100km journey involved sea kayaking, road cycling, mountain biking and hiking and is documented in the award-winning film ‘As The Crow Flies’ and in November that year, Tori was awarded a ‘Points of Light’ Award by the Prime Minister in recognition of outstanding volunteering over the last 10 years.

Tori is also an ambassador for the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award in Wales, Girl Guiding UK and the Visit Wales Year of Adventure 2016.

Voting closes on February 28 and the awards will be presented at a ceremony in Glasgow in March.