I swam from Fastnet Rock to Baltimore in July 2023. It was my first attempt at a swim of this distance, and as a local who grew up in Baltimore, it held significant personal meaning for me.
Although I was always a swimmer, it was only in the last seven years that I began open water swimming year-round. I started by swimming with the local Lough Hyne Lappers, gradually building my confidence in cold water. I regularly swam 2-3 kilometres, but after completing the 7km BISRA GaddinAbtGarnish Swim in 2018, I secretly developed the ambition to complete the Fastnet Swim one day. I didn’t act on this right away but kept swimming. Over the following years, I built up to 10-12 km swims during the summer months. In March 2022, on a whim, I enquired with Noel and Nathan about doing the Fastnet Swim in the summer of 2023. To my horror, they confirmed availability, and I knew then that I couldn’t back out!
I committed myself over the coming year. I trained in Lough Hyne, Myrtleville, and my local gym at “District” in Cork. I gradually increased my time and distance in the water and began experimenting with fuelling during swims.
When the day arrived in July 2023, it was a matter of (hopefully) executing the plan. I was proud to have my Dad accompany me for much-needed moral support! Unfortunately, we had a false start on day one though. Our starting point was at the Rock, so we set out from Baltimore early that morning. We were barely a third of the way out when Kieran decided that sea conditions weren’t fit for swimming that day. (Gladly!) The decision to turn around and try again the following day proved I was in good hands and gave me added confidence going into the swim a day later.
Luckily, things turned out better on day two, and I finally got my opportunity to swim. I was in the water just before 7 am, with choppy but swimmable conditions. It got windier as the day went on, and the water became a bit more turbulent. However, I stuck to the plan and took on carbohydrates every 45 minutes or so, which helped break up the swim into achievable segments.
When The Beacon came into sight, I used it as a landmark to target. In hindsight, it gave me a false sense of nearing completion, as I swam towards it for hours without it seemingly getting any bigger! However, I eventually reached my target. On the final stretch, I’ll never forget swimming past The Beacon and taking my last feed, knowing I was going to complete what I had built up in my head for so long.
The training and preparation were all worth it in the end and I can’t thank Kieran, Nathan & Noel at Fastnet Swim enough for their expertise on the day.
