Young 'whales' triumph in round-island swim relay

Wednesday 18 September 2024

Junior members of the Jersey Long Distance Swimming Club have smashed their goal of completing a round-island relay swim.

Six swimmers aged 13 to 17 faced lumpy waters, jellyfish and dolphin sightings during their swim, which they completed in an impressive 10 hours and 48 minutes.

Early on Friday 6 September, Toby Brydon, Elsa Wanless, Emily Neil, Rory Wanless, Samuel Noel and Eleanor Docherty took turns to swim in hourly rotations.

Their resilience in the tougher conditions along the south and east coasts was rewarded, as the waters gradually flattened out along the north coast and St Ouen’s Bay – an experience topped off by the sight of dolphins near Corbière. 

Naming themselves 'Whale Swim Again', the swim was a personal goal for many of the young sea swimmers, according to the club, who said circumstances last year prevented them from attempting the challenge.

Pictured: The Junior team along with Club President Jenny Fitzgerald and Pilot Guy Pipon.

The team trained hard all year in preparation for their swim, which included a session with JLDSC Club President Jenny Fitzgerald.

"Watching and supporting these young swimmers complete their dream has been one of the highlights of the summer for me," she said.

"Their achievement serves as a reminder of the remarkable young sea swimming talent that the island has. Their commitment to training together to achieve this as a team is commendable and they should be very proud of their accomplishment."

Ms Fitzgerald was the observer during the swim along with Pilot Guy Pipon, who added that the atmosphere onboard was "great, with all the juniors cheering each other on".

GET INVOLVED...

The team attend weekly swims with the JLDSC on a Tuesday evening at St Catherine’s and on a Sunday morning at various locations around the island. 

The JLDSC always welcome new members of all abilities. You can get in touch with the club via their website.