Greystones to Wicklow – 23 June 2018

Back in September 2017, after Ger Devin had committed to swim the English Channel, he went about looking for a charity to raise money for, that would benefit from his swim. He knew of John Glynn and the Gavin Glynn Foundation, who support children that are fighting cancer and who have to travel abroad for their treatment. When a family finds out they have to travel aboard for their treatment, John Glynn and the Foundation step in and organise everything, not just for the child but also the family. To date they have funded 680 flights, 694 car transfers, 659 short stay apartments, 16 Airbnb long stay.
 
When Ger approached John with the idea, he immediately got involved and along with Ger Kennedy – who had helped John with Triathlon events in the past – they started the Gavin Glynn Foundation Swim Team. The Team aim to help out anybody doing a Marathon swim who needs support, advice, training buddies etc – provided they fundraise for the foundation.
 
So that the swimmer knows where their money is going , they usually pair them up with a family.
“Trust me there is no better motivation, when you’re cold, stung by jellyfish, shoulders in bits and then you think of the little child you’re supporting, you just dig deep, stop feeling sorry for yourself and get on with the job. For all my swims, I get the child to sign my cap, and there’s my motivation gone through the roof.”
 
The Gavin Glynn Foundation Swim Team was officially launched in June 2018, when Ger and Cormac MacCionnaith – with Ger Kennedy minding – set off from Greystones Harbour (south of Dublin), to swim the 20km to Wicklow Harbour. In this short video, Ger describes the swim and his upcoming Channel swim.
 
Since then the Foundation Swim Team has been highly active, featuring at the New York Open Swim, Alcatraz, Cork Distance Week, English Channel, Lough Gill, The Kish Lighthouse and in 2019 forming the relay team that swam the Irish Sea from Holyhead in Wales to Dublin. In that time they’ve raised in excess of €30,000 to support the families.

More details can be seen in the ILDSA Swim Record