I was recently asked at an event, “When will you swim the English Channel?”—a
surprising question, given that I swam it back in 1987. It was my first major swim,
and I became the first Irish woman to complete it. That line pops up regularly in bios
and articles, so I was taken aback that this group knew all about my other
swims—Catalina, Gibraltar, Manhattan—but not this one.
As we chatted, I realised they’d read my blog (thank you!). But since I only started
blogging in 2021, some of my early swims didn’t make the cut. And among my
swimming friends in Wellington, there’s a saying: “If you haven’t blogged about
it—you haven’t swum it!” So, I revisited old reports, newspaper clippings, and photos—and began blogging.
3 August 1987
On 3 August 1987, I stood on Shakespeare Beach in Dover—17 years old, heart
pounding, trying to fix my eyes on the horizon. The beach itself, named after
Shakespeare, added to the sense of drama. The English Channel stretched out before
me—cold, vast, and unpredictable. I wasn’t afraid, but I was nervous.
That day, I became the first Irish woman to swim the English Channel. It took me 11
hours and 52 minutes to cross from England to France, stroke by stroke, wave by
wave. And there were a lot of waves—more on that later…
The Journey Begins
The journey began long before I entered the water. I grew up in Bangor, Northern
Ireland, where my love for swimming was born in the saltwater of Pickie Pool. I was
ten when I started open-water swimming, and by 16, I had represented Ireland at
the inaugural World Open Water Swimming Championships, completing a 25km
swim. It was there I met swimmers from 34 countries—many older, all inspiring. They told
me, “If you can do this, you can swim the English Channel.” And so, the seed was
planted.
Some of Irish Team for the 1986 First World Cup -25km – my dad (Joe) is in the left hand corner and to my left is the legend of Irish Open Water swimming and administration Billy Wallace
But there wasn’t a raft of open-water swimmers around me to ask for advice. Ted
Keenan was the only Irish person to have swum the Channel back in 1972. There
was no internet, no Facebook groups. I remember writing letters to swimmers for
advice, then waiting until after 6pm—when calls were cheaper—to ring them. I also
had to write to pilots to book a slot. What now takes a quick email today took weeks
back then.
I trained relentlessly in the colder waters of Northern Ireland, driven by a dream
that many thought was impossible and somewhat ridiculous for a teenage girl from
Ireland. But I believed. And more importantly, I had people around me who believed
too—especially my dad who taught me to swim, my mum, swimming coaches, and
kayakers from the Helens Bay Canoe Club, most often Davy, who accompanied me
on the long training swims. I still marvel at—and remain deeply grateful for—the
hours they spent beside me, whether in a canoe or by the pool.
Davy and I – Davy generously spent hours kayaking by me during sea training.
No Perfect Day
We got to Dover and there was a lot of waiting around for the weather. We visited
the people from the Channel Swimming Association- Ray and Audrey Scott who rang
the Association for 44 years! Due to no internet or mobile phones we and other
swimmers popped around to their house. At their house I bumped into a man from
New Zealand called Philip Rush – he was planning a 3-way English Channel. Little
did I know that quite a few years later I would end up spending a lot of time with
him – he coaches me now (almost 14,000 days or over 38 years since we first met!).
Philip Rush and I (and the very famous Ger Kennedy) about 37 years after I first met Phil
The weather during my tide was not good and I was fourth on the list for that tide.
When the pilot asked if I was willing to go on a less-than-perfect day, I said yes. I did
not know that the three swimmers ahead of me said no. This moved me from 4th to
first. The pilot gave me the call and said let’s go.
It absolutely was not a perfect day. It was deeply uncomfortable for the first three
hours. There were big waves. My brother (Conor) and dad (Joe) were very seasick—fortunately
over the side of the boat I wasn’t swimming next to. They even had to be tied down
for safety.
That swim taught me one of the most important lessons of my life: you can’t wait for
the perfect day. Firstly, most times it doesn’t exist, secondly if you wait your
opportunity may well pass you by.
The Stress for Others
Whilst I was out battling the waves and my dad and brother their sea sickness, my
mum and her sister were walking the streets of Dover. My aunt is Sr Mary Vianney, a
nun, so whilst the two sisters pounded the pavements they also went to every mass
in every Catholic church in the area.
Back in 1987 there were no mobile phones, no trackers – a ship to shore call could
be made via the coastguard but this was for emergencies. There were three
swimmers who entered the water the same day as me. The word went around the
swimming community that one of those swimmers had come out of the water.
However, the community didn’t know which one. So, the stress for my mum and
supporters on the shore was high – not knowing any information raised everyone’s
blood pressure. Following this swim my mum swore never to be on shore again –
she would be on the boat and she has been!
Don’t Look Back
I was still in the water but as I said earlier it wasn’t pretty. Three hours into the
swim, I got my second big life lesson. I stopped and looked back—and saw the White
Cliffs of Dover, still massive and far too close. I was devastated. I thought, “I’ve got
nowhere.” Panic crept in.
But then I realised: if I’m going to spend energy panicking, that’s energy I won’t have
to battle through the waves to France. I needed to stop wondering about the last
three hours and focus all of my energy on the next few hours—and each stroke to
get to France.
So the lesson: Don’t look back. Looking back has very limited value.
What the Channel Gave Me
Touching the beach in France taught me that with preparation, grit, and support,
you can do far more than you think. It’s not just about the day of the swim—it’s
about the months and years of training, the sacrifices, and the belief that you’ll find a
way through.
Becoming the first Irish woman to swim the English Channel changed my life. But it
was the journey through all the swims—the triumphs, the setbacks, the
people—that shaped who I am. The Channel gave me more than a medal or a headline—it gave me a mindset.
One that says: Show up. Do the work. Trust your team. Don’t wait for perfect conditions. Just start.
Came home to a well decorated house, lots of cards, flowers and newspaper people!
Beyond the Channel: A Life in Open Water
Almost four decades after that Channel swim, I’m still swimming—and still learning.
Since then, I’ve completed some of the world’s most challenging open-water
swims—including the Cook Strait, Moloka‘i Channel, North Channel, Manhattan
Island, and the NZ Triple Crown. I’ve also been recognised as an Honour Swimmer in
the Marathon Swimming Ireland Hall of Fame, and nominated for Female World
Open Water Swimmer of the Year.
Each swim brings new lessons, new friends, and new stories. I’ve used my swims to
support causes close to my heart, like Kenzie’s Gift, which helps young New
Zealanders facing serious illness or grief. There have been shark encounters in Cook Strait, jellyfish stings and hypothermia in the North Channel, every adventure has reinforced the lessons I learned in the Channel: resilience, teamwork, and the power of showing up.
The resilience, teamwork, and grit I learned in the water have guided me through
challenges in public service and leadership. Whether in the ocean or the office, it’s
about showing up, doing the work, and trusting your team.
I started blogging in 2021 to share these stories, lessons, and reflections. If you’re
reading this and wondering whether you can take on your own ‘Channel’—in
swimming, work, or life—my advice is simple: don’t wait for perfect conditions. Just
start. You’ll be amazed at what you can achieve.
FOOTNOTE 1
I am booked to swim the English Channel again in June 2027 – 40 years after this crossing!
FOOTNOTE 2
I sent a draft of this blog to my brother for his input- yes -Conor who spent his time emptying his stomach on my swim…. In 1994, a few years after me, he swam the English Channel and I was on his boat…. He completed the swim in 9 hours 11 minutes and remains 30 years later the fastest Irish person to swim the English Channel….His comments on the blog were “the first paragraph could do with a little more punch. He then suggested an opening paragraph that he thought dovetails into what I wrote rather nicely.. so here is the alternative opening to this blog!
As my brother, the aquatic demigod, cleaved through the English Channel it was as though Poseidon himself was clearing his path. As he strode ashore upon the sacred sands of France like a real life Adonis, the sun itself seemed to applaud his record-breaking swim. As I watched it made me reflect on my own much, much slower swim across the English Channel. In fact, compared to him I questioned, was it really a swim or merely a leisurely, existential paddle.
For those of you who are interested here is the story of this existential paddle back in 1987. It was my first major channel swim, and I became the first Irish woman to complete it…..
Me, dad (Joe), mum (Philippa) and Conor about to start his epic English Channel Swim
IrishKiwiSwims 