Friday, 15 September 2023 / Published in

Visualise today what you want from tomorrow

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Every good adventure is born from a thought. At infinity, be it Channel swimming or Swim Academy the next generation are paramount to us. Anyone who has swam with us and have journeyed with us know that we love a good challenge. In the Summer of 2022 infinity Channel Swimming supported a North Channel relay team from India of various ages and physically abilities. Their success and dedication heightened our awareness to the opportunities we could offer. One member of this team was age 14, lean yet strong, someone you would see as more fitting for the school track & field as opposed to channel swimming in 14-16 Celsius waters. He impressed us with his ability and inspired us to set a challenge for a young local team to swim the North Channel, developing the next generation of channel swimmers.

Our first port of call was to contact the Irish Long Distance Swimming Association for approval. They are the ratifying body for North Channel swims and set the North Channel rules. The ages of the children would fall below those stipulated. The application was raised with the committee, discussed, debated and approved with a specific set of guidance, targets and circumstances applying. Once this was approved we could offer the challenge and opportunity to our infinity AQUACLUB members and to the open water junior swimming community in our local area. We had a wide range of swimmers applied and were overwhelmed by the interest. We also had an ‘I’m all in’ response from two swim coaches keen on developing this project. With 2023 as the date goal the build-up and preparation needed to be completed in a very short period of time. We realised there would need more than one boat, two, maybe even a third.

We knew this challenge would be significantly difficult. We knew we could strategically build a plan and would keep safety of all as paramount throughout. We knew there would be a massive learning curve for each child, the child’s family and their coaches. The challenges that an adult faces when they take on a relay or solo swim of this magnitude are colossal. This would be exponentially amplified for both the child and the family. As adults we have the experience of knowing our own mind, have years of cold water exposure, have the ability to deal with fear and apprehension, rationalising this undertaking. Our tolerance of pain is manageable, anxiety is accepted and greeted. For children these life skills are somewhat immature, unexperienced. How this challenge would reflected in their young lives, in their families, their coaches, their school life, on their other activities in their busy schedules and on the general day to day of life was essential for us to address.

In setting this challenge infinity would offer our pilot escort services for free if the children fundraised for their chosen charities the equivalence of the pilotage fees. The first training swim was held at Rostrevor slipway on a cold Autumn Sunday Morning in 2022. There were a lot of screams heard echoing in the misty Carlingford Lough when even one minute in the sea was a horrid experience. Slow increased immersion in waters that were of dropping temperatures as Winter approached became more ‘normal’. Coaches Stephen Grimley and Keith Garry led the charge in this minefield of a challenge whilst infinity Channel team remained in the background for support and guidance. The coaches had an understanding of their childrens’ abilities. As channel swimmers themselves they knew the journey. With any process we anticipated there would be a drop out but that ultimately the experience, training and emotional journey for each person would provide them with huge life skills and benefits. We knew this was at times harder for the parents, naturally wanting to protect their children. Over the Winter the children greeted all the challenges handed to them, riding the thriller coaster, creating connection as a team who had each other’s back. This was beautiful to watch.

infinity offered free entry to CLWF H20PLAY open water races, support boat escort, channel swim exposure, night swims, practice in relay swim rotation, getting on and off boats, general life at sea, in and out of harbours, T30 time trials and costal swimming. All these events straddling the childrens’ continued daily lives of school, exams, other sports commitments and their pool coached training schedules.

The standard ILDSA requirement for a North Channel Relay is a 2 hour qualifier in water below 14C for each team member. This was an immense challenge. Some were able to complete this at Battle of Carlingford Lough Swim in May 2023, others during 2 hour qualifiers offered by infinity. Some didn’t make the qualifier due to their leanness or inability to tolerate the extended time in the cold water but never failing was their willingness try. Fall out resulted in new team members joining, support by Chris Judge, Dorothy Johnston, Colin Lyndsay and their respective swim clubs. The Red Hot Chilli Dippers teams were announced based on swimmer speed to equal the pace of both teams for swim day. Red Hot Chilli Dippers ĀNANTYA: Oscar Black, Daniel Smyth, Sophie Lyndsay, Niall McManus, Leona McCartney and Hannah McKeown. Red Hot Chilli Dippers ÉIGRÍOCH: Holly Robson, Tom Magill, Joseph Salisbury, Ellen Boyle, Isabella Leary and Oisin Smylie. Honourable to infinity that the teams would choose the boat names for their teams, each meaning infinity in different languages ĀNANTYA Tibetan and ÉIGRÍOCH Irish.

The original swim window was 22-26th September, the children had chosen their charities, fundraising was going well, sponsorships were being secured, social media pages were founded and the coaches continued the tough task of navigating an intense training plan, always learning, dealing with nature and its changes, being ever ready. Peter Legge a local and very respected channel swimmer visited the teams and families during one of their swims at Camlough Lake, his channel swimming training ground back in the day. Well wishes were received from all over the world including channel swimmers like Amy Gubser, Lynton Mortensen, Andrew Donaldson and local sports people.

The swim window was approaching and as the team spirits grew momentum we were nurturing the skills of these young people, wanting to wrap them in cotton wool per se least they get an injury at football or the likes before the big day. What will the weather be like ? When will we swim? I need to know the exact day? were some of the questions. Managing the weather is always an onerous task, it doesn’t keep a timetable or a schedule especially in ‘Four seasons in one day’ Ireland. To align weather, wind and tide for channel swim window is a jigsaw of a million pieces and Pádraig makes the final call for all swims. With a weather high incoming, the decision was made to call forward the Red Hot Chilli Dippers swim window to 6 – 12th September, three weeks before their actual date. There were panic stations when an announcement was made on Tuesday 5th September to say your swim will be this Saturday and further panic and bedlam when the next update on the same day at 13:00hrs said y‘SURPRISE be read your swim is tomorrow Thursday 7^th September’. ‘You are kidding me right???’ was a common response. With lot of ‘last minute dot com’ scheduling each team member and family pulled out all the stops. Calls to schools, to managers – the swims tomorrow ‘I won’t be at work, the swim is tomorrow —- won’t be at school’ as they gathering their kit for swim day.

With traffic diversions checked and alarm clocks set for stupid o’clock, 12 very ready, very nervous children and their families arrived at Bangor Marina at 4.30am on 7^th September 2023 to face their North Channel nemesis. They had been through all the scenarios with their coaches: swam in rough water, colder water, had jellyfish stings, knew the feeling of cross currents, hopped on and off boats, balanced their nutrition and hydration.. as Milo says ‘there was nothing new on race day only a finish line.’

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With boats prepped and ready, all were boarded farewells from families and under the pilotage of Ian Conroy with and Coach Steven Grimley for Red Hot Chilli Dippers ÉIGRÍOCH and Jacqueline McClelland with Coach Keith Garry for Red Hot Chilli Dippers ĀNANTYA both infinity vessels left Bangor Marina. Belfast Coastguard wished all a safe passage and good luck. ILDSA Observers were on board to ensure the standards and rules of the North Channel were met. After a short boat journey to Robbie’s Point, their start line, a final safety briefing and a prep talk from pilots and coaches was given and within minutes Oscar Black and Holly Robson jumped into the dark waters. Illuminated by a quarter moon, clear starry skies, glowing green adventure lights and a runway of white lights on shore created by their families, other channel swimmers and the ever present and supporting Donaghadee Chunky Dunkers the whistle blew and the race for Scotland was on. In rotation, all six children swam their one hour with all their might – some displaying swim skill not even revealed in sessions in the pool or open water to the delight of their pilots and coaches.

The waters were choppy, unforgiving, challenging and lions’ mane were aplenty. Water temperatures were 14 – 15 Celcius. Social media updates were regular with Finn Garry and Oran McKeever on board sending messages to families on shore and the red dots of the track.rs were aglow. By midway hour six, the Red Hot Chilli Dippers ĀNANTYA were leading. Oisin Smylie of Red Hot Chilli Dippers ÉIGRÍOCH produced a performance of his young life – bringing both boats level – good old banter between the two teams across boats, photos, snap chats and encouraging words were had. Spirits were lifted as the enormity of the challenge hit home. Each child tired, with stings, recovering from their first swim, physically and mentally preparing for their next one. The sun was shining, the waters were still choppy and challenging, progress was being made and all in all life was good at sea. The comradery that had developed from a first dip in the cold waters of Rostrevor to each completing 4 – 5K in the ocean with a common goal was crystal clear. As Rotation 2 began Hour seven, Red Hot Chilli Dippers ĀNANTYA again took the lead, Oscar Black powering forward at 6kph. Navigation for both boats changed Red Hot Chilli Dippers ĀNANTYA passaging South and Red Hot Chilli Dippers ÉIGRÍOCH passaging North. As hour by hour passed the swim rotations evolved – each child giving their all.

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The mist was clearing and land was ahoy. Landfall only seems close until you are finally there and you realise its vastness and beauty. Milos tales were told:
“When you see the houses, then the windows, then the people eating their dinner at their tables you know your there’
“You can see the windmills then the sheep and then the whites of their eyes then you know you are there”
Well the sheeps’ eyes and the dinner on the tables were ever closer. Thank you Master Milo – visualisation is a great motivator.

Hannah McKeown touched land first in Portpatrick Harbour walking onto the sandy beach in a time of 11 hours 17 minutes 6 seconds and Oisin Smylie for Red Hot Chilli Dippers ÉIGRÍOCH touched second at the rocks just South of Killantringan Lighthouse in a time of 11 hours 23 minutes and 17 seconds not much between them showing their equal match. The other five team members, support crew and coaches joined them in the water for a celebration. ĀNANTYA left Portpatrick Harbour to cheers from locals and passaged North to join ÉIGRÍOCH for a full team photo. The roars were immense probably heard back in Ireland and the delight for each child indescribable. Re-boarded and dressed the teams made passage back to Bangor Marina to a large gathering of well wishes, families and friends and a rapturous applause.

The new records created sparked huge interest from media and the children were interviewed for tv with articles published in their local and national newspapers. Donations to the ‘just giving’ Red Hot Chilli Dippers page had reached £16K far exceeding any goal.

At infinity as we push boundaries we see opportunity to grow the future of the sport Our future is the youth. Members of these teams joined infinity Swim Academy when we opened, learned to swim through the Swim Ireland Learn to Swim Programme, progressed to infinity AQUACLUB, completed RLSS Rookie and Swim Survive Save and pool to open water courses. To everyone involved in this journey a huge thank you from infinity, you have opened a pathway for others. The future is bright. We keep watch on each on the teams as they manage their young lives in the media, as they return to normality: back to school, studies, other sports and of course back to their swim training with galas and perhaps now other longer distance open water swim goals in their sights. Still to come will be their presentation of cheques to their chosen charities, the official ILDSA swim ratification announcements and attendance at the ILDSA Awards in Tralee, November 2023 to collect their prestigious ILDSA Certificates and North Channel medals.