Swimming Biography
Family swimming as a child in the sea and Lough Neagh...joined Belfast School of Life Saving aged 10 and continued from there to become a swimming teacher.
Â
First Open water event..     2005 Gunnaway swim...then Copeland Islands swim
                                                 2006 Gunnaway.......Irish Championships 17km
                                                 2007 1st Relay team to swim two Lough Ernes - Crom Castle to Belleek
                                            2-way Winderemere - (finished at 17 miles - fed up in the dark!!)
                                      2008 Share centre 9km Rathlin to Ballycastle swim
                                      2009 Channel swim - England to France - 14 hr 15mins
Swimmer's Report - English Channel
Direction: England to France
At 4.45am on Thursday 16th July 2009, I stepped into the water at Shakespeare Beach, Dover, and began my swim to France…
…14hrs 15mins later, at 7pm, I walked out of the water on Weston Beach near Calais…My longest swim yet!
I first knew I wanted to swim the Channel aged 10 when I saw an Esther Williams film, I never really thought I’d do it! Having done sea and lake swims of varying lengths, from 2 miles to 17miles, over the last three years, my Channel training began in earnest May 2008.
At 4.45am, I stood on Shakespeare Beach, Dover, raised my hand and the countdown started, the klaxton blew and I dove into the water, starting my swim to France.
On the boat, along with the Pilots crew and a CS&PF Observer, were my crew,
My husband, Brian, who walked the beach all winter long through my training swims, my friend and masseuse, Sara, and Paul, a photographer and my support swimmer – should I need to be pulled out of the water, that’s his job!
None of them were going to let me back on that boat until I reached France!
9 hours into the swim and I was slacking, I wanted my arms to stop working and my crew to tell me I’d done enough…I thought of friends and family, who would forgive me if I quit, and those who would not. Finally I decided failure was not an option!
The swim continued on and France got slowly closer. Finally, Brian told me “1500ms to go.†I was elated. Paul jumped in with his camera. The boat stopped. I looked to see the beach ahead…and went for it - a sprint finish!
As soon as my fingers touched the sand, I stood up. I turned to Paul as he took a photo, “I’ve just swum the English Channel!†I cleared the water and danced on the beach.
A childhood dream realised…
I swam back to the boat, where Brian was waiting with a smile as big as my own. A big thanks to everyone who has helped me, and believed I would do it, most of all to Brian for supporting me and committing as much time and energy as I have. I couldn’t have done it without you.
Maureen McCoy
|
