THE support of family and friends is keeping Kaise Stephan motivated during his swimming sessions that begin at 4.30am every day.
Knowing that his swim across the English Channel on July 10 would help children with cancer was also a big motivator, Mr Stephan said.
He hopes to raise $250,000 for the oncology centre at The Children's Hospital at Westmead.
"Although it is tough, doing it for a good cause is what drives me,'' Mr Stephan, 33, of Abbotsbury, said.
"Last night I finished training at 10.30.
"It was really hard to get up in the morning.
"God has helped to keep me going emotionally and mentally.''
On the weekend, Mr Stephan did his fifth and final test.
It was 35 kilometres from Bundeena to Bondi.
It took him 12 hours - some feat.
"My coach said that I work as hard as athletes as swimmers training for the Olympics but the only thing I'm lacking is speed,'' he said.
"The effort and determination are there.''
Mr Stephan has trained for two years to swim the English Channel, a 35-kilometre swim in water temperatures between 15 and 18 degrees.
He does eight to 10 training sessions a week (morning, lunch and afternoon) and during what he dismisses as a "rest week,'' he fits in six sessions.
Mr Stephan also works full-time as an actuary in Sydney.
In the coming weeks, he'll do cold-water training so that he'll be used to swimming in waters similar to the channel's. He'll fly to England on June 28 and will have 10 days to acclimatise himself to the conditions of the English Channel.
His family and his cousin Mark, who had leukaemia and so inspired Mr Stephan to swim the channel, will be waiting at the end of the swim in France. Channel Crossing for Life, the charity Mr Stephan set up for the event, has raised $60,000.
Bunnings Warehouse at Bonnyrigg is supporting Mr Stephan with barbecue proceeds on the Saturdays of May 17, June 14 and 28 going to the charity.
To donate, visit www.channelcrossingforlife.com or phone 1800 770 122.