• Men's Team
  • Men's Team
  • Men's Team
  • Men's Team
  • Men's Team
  • Men's Team
  • Men's Team
  • Men's Team
  • Men's Team
  • Men's Team
  • Men's Team
  • Men's Team
  • Men's Team
  • Men's Team

Ger Kennedy

Ger is the Captain of both the Women's & Men's Teams.

Ger is a prolific extreme swimmer with 13 x International Ice Swimming Association Ice Miles (including 3 ice zero miles, a mile at high altitude and 2k at .5C) He was the first male and second person in history to complete the Ice Sevens Challenge. 

Ger has completed a diverse range of cold water swims including ice miles at both poles (Antarctica2020swim and Arctic) under-ice swims, endurance swims, and high altitude swims. 

Captain of the Extreme North Channel Team January 2022 in there record breaking winter relay, Ger is an early ambassador and active promoter of Ice & Winter Swimming through online seminars and presentations with organisations like World Open Water Swimming Association.

John Myatt

John has always had a passion for swimming and adventure. To put testament to this, John walked the length of Hadrian’s wall, mid-winter, in just a pair of speedos and Roman Helmet. John was also part of a group that pioneered and completed the National Three Peaks and Three lakes challenge in the most gruelling of conditions. 

In terms of swimming, John holds the Guinness World Record for being part of the first two-man team in history to swim to France and back. He is an ice miler, Great Britain 1k (Zero Degrees) age group World Ice swimming champion 2019. 

John has always been driven and at the age of 7 he was awarded a scholarship to swim for Gloucester City Swimming Club and went on to swim for The county and Western Counties.  

John swims for his mental health and has also helped support many others with similar conditions through ice and cold-water immersion. 

CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT US

Please give what you can and thank you for your support.

Colm Morris

Colm took up pool swimming a few years ago to maintain some form of fitness when back injuries prevented him from playing football and running. 

During the pandemic when leisure centres closed as a result of Covid pandemic, Colm decided to take the plunge into the sea and enjoyed his first sea swim in June 2020. That first swim unearthed a love for open water swimming. 

With no contacts or friends in the swimming community Colm entered a Google search of ‘sea swimming Dublin’ and he discovered the 40 foot Walruses and Ger Kennedy (A swimming club in Ireland who gained worldwide acclaim when they became the first swimmers to swim across Dublin Bay from Howth Head to the 40 Foot in Dun Laoghaire).

After a full winter of swimming with Ger and the gang, this further enhanced Colm’s new passion for the open water swimming and in May 2021 (less than a year from his first sea swim) he swam his first 10k with the support of Ger and his team. Fast forward a few months and Colm was one of the 6 swimmers who successfully completed the first winter North Channel crossing!

Vincent Denegan

Vincent is station officer with Dublin Fire Brigade where he has dedicated his career for the last 23 years. He has always enjoyed swimming and has been scuba diving for over 30 years.

Swimming has always been an activity to help with his fitness, but after discovering open water swimming 3 years ago, this provided Vincent a challenge which tests his skills and endurance. As well as the physical benefits, swimming has been a great way for Vincent to get away from the pressures of work and allows him to recharge both physically and mentally. 

Open water swimming has opened new challenges for Vincent and he was privileged to be part of the Winter Walrus North channel relay swim team last winter. 

Vincent is swimming to raise donations and awareness to The Power of One mission to help save abused and abandoned dogs.

CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT US

Please give what you can and thank you for your support.

John Curley

In June 2019 John unfortunately broke both his left elbow in numerous positions and his right wrist and needed extensive surgery. After the surgery and stitches removed John started cold water therapy, which he found not only helped with the physical recovery but also his mental health. 

In October 2021 John put more focus into his swimming, where he met Ger Kennedy. 

With the help from Ger, John has gone from strength to strength completing numerous challenges put in front of him including achieving the second earliest Galway Bay swim. John has also competed in a 3 man relay of the Dail Riata and completing the Monterey Bay swim in San Francisco becoming the first international swimmer outside of the USA. 

John also completed his first ice mile on 19th February and became the ILDSA best newcomer male swimmer for 2022. 

John is swimming to help raise donations for The Power of One and bring awareness to the plight of abused and abandoned dogs across the world.

  • Women's Team
  • Women's Team
  • Women's Team
  • Women's Team
  • Women's Team
  • Women's Team
  • Women's Team
  • Women's Team
  • Women's Team
  • Women's Team
  • Women's Team
  • Women's Team

Ger Kennedy

Ger is the Captain of both the Women's & Men's Teams.

Ger is a prolific extreme swimmer with 13 x International Ice Swimming Association Ice Miles (including 3 ice zero miles, a mile at high altitude and 2k at .5C) He was the first male and second person in history to complete the Ice Sevens Challenge. 

Ger has completed a diverse range of cold water swims including ice miles at both poles (Antarctica2020swim and Arctic) under-ice swims, endurance swims, and high altitude swims. 

Captain of the Extreme North Channel Team January 2022 in there record breaking winter relay, Ger is an early ambassador and active promoter of Ice & Winter Swimming through online seminars and presentations with organisations like World Open Water Swimming Association.

Caroline Saxon

Caroline has been swimming outside for 18 years, and as one of the younger members of the team has an impressive swimming history already. She is the owner of The Outdoor Swimming Company which offers coaching, retreats, and champions safety in the outdoors all year round.

Caroline has represented Great Britain in the World Ice Swimming Championships, as well as in Open Water in 2006.

After a period of poor mental health, Caroline started to swim outdoors again and needed a new challenge. Her fascination for winter swimming and ice swimming was formed when she found the Ice Mile challenge online and after a number of years of training, Caroline completed two ice miles. 

Following her ice mile and winning the 1km event at the Great Britain Ice Swimming Championships, Caroline was selected to represent Great Britain in the World Ice Swimming Championships in Murmansk, Russia in 2019 and swam 1km in a swimming pool cut out of the ice at zero degrees. She came 2nd in her age group (25-29) and 8th overall. This is where she met Ger Kennedy! She also competed in Glogow, Poland in 2022 and holds the World Record in her age group for 1km, 500m and 50m freestyle (30-34).

Caroline pioneered the Three Peaks, Three Lakes challenge and as part of a team of 4, climbed the three highest mountains in Scotland, England and Wales as well as swimming the three longest lakes. She was also a member of the record beating ladies relay team who, along with team member Sam Farrow, swam 13 lengths of Windermere consecutively in 77 hours 39 minutes and covered 136.5 miles. She swam 10×2 hour swims during this period.

Caroline swims for mental health awareness, and advocates for outdoor swimming to be included as part of a toolkit to enhance wellbeing and improve mental health. Safe outdoor and winter swimming is her primary concern, and she educates people to safely find enjoyment when swimming in the outdoors.

CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT US

Please give what you can and thank you for your support.

Deborah Hazeltine

Deborah has always had a passion for open water, whether it’s scuba diving or just bathing in nature. Her passion for open water extends to swimming the Ice Mile, of which she has completed three times, along with other winter swimming events. It’s the perfect extreme sport being the adrenaline junkie she is, and you’ll always find her doing something playfully nutty …. or at least – thinking about it?! She’s always up to challenge herself rather than be of competition, and just loves the company of others to share her experiences with.

Deborah met her swimming partner during her first channel relay in the summer of 2020. They both share an inseparable bond around swimming, teaching swimming, and just having fun with active friends. During the winter they both get down to the lake to get their ‘cold water fix’ which keeps them happily bouncing through the darker months. ‘

‘There is so much truth in how nature and the elements make you feel, and how cold-water swimming is a real stimulant to relieving stress and negative emotions’

Deborah has a huge passion for animal welfare and is a voluntary speaker on the environment and on behalf of animals. She is swimming the English channel in a winter relay to raise funds for The Power of One which changes the lives of abused and abandoned dogs all over the world.

Niamh McCarthy

Niamh is a real advocate for open water swimming to counteract feelings of depression and anxiety in all ages, shapes and sizes. 

Niamh was the first woman ever to cross the North Channel during the winter months of this year as part of a relay – an incredible feat!

Niamh is very much looking forward to the next challenge this coming January 2023 and loves being a part of an all-women’s team showing just how capable women are of pushing their minds and bodies. 

Niamh is a firm believer that your body can do anything you can train it to do and is capable of way more than you can imagine. Train your body and mind. Your mind gives up before your body.

Outside of swimming Niamh loves football and travelling. She is a busy mum working in tourism in Ireland running her own small business.

Swimming is her sport and outlet and being part of extreme challenges is something she relishes. Niamh is swimming to help The Power of One and its mission to save abused and abandoned dogs.

Siân Clement

Siân is a GP who works both in South Wales and Orkney and is lucky to have the ability to combine training in the rougher waters of the Bristol Channel with the colder, crystal clear waters of Orkney. 

Siân is a ‘Power House’ in the world of open water and ice swimming. She started out as a competitive pool swimmer and moved into competitive lifesaving before becoming a marathon swimmer. She made history by becoming the first female swimmer to complete the renowned and difficult The Original Triple Crown’, becoming the first female swimmer to cross the Bristol and English Channel followed by the North Channel breaking another Guinness World Record. 

Siân’s times, currently being considered by Guinness World Record, stand at: English Channel (12hrs, 48 mins), Bristol Channel (14hrs, 1 min) and North Channel (12hrs 45 mins). A total time of 39hrs, 34mins. 

Siân swims for her mental health and raising vital donations for charities close to her heart. She is the only member of the group that has already taken part in a race across The English Channel when she was a member of the Oxford University team in the inaugural Cross Channel Varsity Match in 1998.

Sam Farrow

​​Sam is a 28-year-old British open water swimmer and coach. She is also an official for the International Ice swimming Association.

On 22 January 2022, she completed an Ice Mile at the Hatfield Outdoor Activity Centre in 4.43°C water and 0.80°C air temperatures, swimming 1.02 miles in 29 minutes 12 seconds. The ice mile is undoubtedly one of the most extreme events of physical endurance. Swimming one mile in open water below 5ºC wearing just one costume or pair of trunks, one hat and one pair of goggles.

Sam also completed the first four-person relay 13 times across Lake Windermere in England in 77 hours 39 minutes, swimming a total of 219.7 km (136.5 miles) on 18 September 2022.

Sam enjoys the physical benefits open water swimming brings and he positive impact it has on her mental health. Sam is taking on the English Winter Channel Swim to help bring awareness to mental health and charities close to her heart.

CLICK HERE TO SUPPORT US

Please give what you can and thank you for your support.