As the 2013 training season becomes more of a reality, I know this year will be the most difficult by far. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the perils of the North Channel, know this is simply regarded as the most difficult of the Oceans Seven challenge – specifically because the water between Ireland and Scotland is incredible cold, and you have to withstand the low-50s for what could be a 10-15hr journey! The challenges for this year will be to add significant weigh (20-30lbs) all the while tackling some heavy ice swimming! Aside from the cold, the North Channel is notorious for jellyfish “blooms”, and it is not uncommon to receive hundreds of stings while swimming!
Anne Marie Ward is an incredible Irish marathon swimmer who has completed the English Channel (in Force 5/6 surf!) as well as tackling the North Channel in 2010. Prior to Anne Marie’s first success, she tried three separate times to make it across:
- September 11th 2008 – 17.5 hours swimming and the tide drove nine miles north, the advantage of the new tide wasn’t strong enough to give Anne Marie any benefit so she was taken from the water. It was unlikely that she would have made it.
- August 2009 – 2.5 hours from Irish coast, the weather took a really bad turn and Anne Marie was rescued from the water. The weather had blown her off-course, north of the Copeland Islands.
- August 2010- 5 hours swimming through jellyfish in the darkness. There was no let up – her joints and hands froze from
- the toxins and she asked to be taken out when she was hospitalized. Four weeks later, she was successful.
The North Channel is incredibly unpredictable, and good days to swim are VERY few and far between!
Craig Lenning of Colorado became the first American, and 12th (of 13) person overall to swim this treacherous stretch of water in July 2011. Since then, there has only been 1 success in over a year, with zero successes thus far in 2012 (according to openwaterpedia.com)! With the water temperature on average 50-54 degrees, there is simply no way one could swim this channel without having significant cold water acclimatization under their belt. For those who are new to following marathon swimming, wetsuits are not allowed with these challenges, so it is speedo, cap and goggles all the way!
Craig is about as tough as they come, and he was kind enough to lend a few words on his journey:
“When the tides change on you in the North Channel it is like pushing a large bag of marbles up a gravel hill, you work for every yard.”
The North Channel is one of the most exciting swims I have ever had the pleasure of doing. The water is unbelievably clear with a dark blue that hides its surprises. From the moment I jumped into the waters till the moment I cleared the water in Scotland I can easily say I never overheated. I am very glad I did a considerable amount of swims under 42 F/ 5.5 C to help prepare me for the long hours in the cold water. Having only swum in the ocean a dozen times before the swim, I had to adjust to the large amount of jellyfish I encountered. Some of them were so big I had to do a “double-take” to make sure I was not hallucinating. At first I tried to avoid them but there really was no point so I started to ignore them. That is until one wrapped around my right hand and gave me the biggest sting I have ever felt. I knew I couldn’t take many more stings of that level so I swam the next 12 hours heads up.
The biggest challenge I faced was being 9.5 hours into the swim and still not halfway. I talked with the Pilot who told me the tides would be changing soon giving me a push to the finish. I had set in my mind, 15 hours at 53 F, this is what I trained for and this is what my reality was quickly becoming.
The finish was brilliant, 30yds from the shore the temp soared to 59 F and I knew the Channel was giving me a pat on the back for a job well done!”
Simply incredible…
Prior to heading over to Ireland, I will first have to overcome the difficult Cook Strait in March – a body of water which by no means I am overlooking! This 16-nautical mile stretch between the north and south islands of New Zealand has only been swum by 77 individuals (as of March 2010). Craig and I are planning a tandem swim, which means we will swim side-by-side, similar to the way in which Jen Schumacher, Jamie Patrick, Oliver Wilkinson and I completed the Strait of Gibraltar in May 2012.
Famed marathon swimmer Philip Rushoversees the Cook Strait attempts, along with his team who organize the swims. Philip has an incredible history of marathon swimming, and is most known for his 28hr TRIPLE English Channel swim! He is one of three people to complete such an arduous task, and has the record as well! (Yes, that means three crossings in one swoop!)
Many people have offered up their support for the Cook Strait, including the incredible Shelley Taylor-Smith of Australia, and my good friend Brandon, who is a trauma doctor in Detroit, Michigan. It will be such a blessing to travel with such awesome friends! Between Craig and I, I’m sure we will have an AMAZING support crew, and know that we sincerely appreciate everyone willing to help!
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.”
2013 – BRING IT ON!