Lyndsey Dunne’s Channel Challenge

As the sea swimming season gets off to a cold start in the waters of Sligo Bay, Lynsey Dunne of Sligo Triathlon Club prepares herself for a challenging English Channel Swim this summer. Lynsey has always loved swimming in the sea, but having moved to Sligo and got involved in triathlon, she has taken the sport to a more serious level. This year she will swim from Dover in England to Calais in France on 1st July 2011. She attempts this swim as part of a two-person relay team where each challenger swims for two hours in rotation, covering in excess of 40km over 14-18 hours. This will be done without a wetsuit in waters ranging from 14 to 16 degrees Celsius, while navigating one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world. In addition to the threat of tankers, boats and ferries, Lynsey will face jellyfish, currents, waves, sewage, hypothermia risks and sea-sickness!


So what drives Lynsey to undertake such a challenge?! “It is an amazing experience to swim uninterrupted in what can feel like an endless ocean,” says Lynsey. “Sea swimming is never boring, there is always some sort of marine life to look at and you always need to focus on where you are going and be aware of your surroundings. And there is no better feeling than when you have completed a swim and can look back and see where you’ve come from and the distance you’ve travelled.” In preparation for the big event training currently involves swimming six days a week, including one long swim of 15km (750 lengths of a pool) per week. “This is a bit daunting but having a goal in sight has helped keep me focused and motivated during these long swims”. For more information on Lynsey’s exciting challenge, check out www.ourchannelswim.com.

For anyone interested in dipping their toes into the world of sea swimming, its time to delve back into memories of childhood fun at Rosses Point beach and revisit the joy and exhilaration of swimming in the sea. Sea swim training sessions begin in early May for novices, intermediate and advanced swimmers with Sligo Triathlon Club. The Metalman Sea Swim series at Rosses Point takes place on Sunday May 22nd, Saturday 28th May, Saturday 4th June and Saturday 11th June. Distances will start at 750m and will progress to 1,000m and a final 1,500m.