5 MINUTES WITH…
We caught up with Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year, Anne-Marie Ward, for a quick chat
Hi, Anne-Marie! Congratulations on being made Open Water Swimming Woman of the Year. How do you feel?
I was just honoured and humbled to be on the shortlist, I never for a moment thought
about winning. I can’t believe that I have this title. I was a little embarrassed at first, but now I accept the title with pride.
The Patagonia Extreme Team gear up for their Chilean dip
GREAT SALFORD SWIM ON BBC
You were given the award for crossing from Ireland to Scotland, which took you four attempts. Did you ever think of giving up? On my first attempt in 2008 I swam for 17.5hrs but was beaten by tides and weather off the Scottish coast. In 2009 the weather changed and the swim had to be abandoned at midnight, after only two hours. On my third attempt my joints seized up after swimming through blooms of stinging lion’s mane jellyfish and they had to drag me out of the water. After all that, there was no way I was going to give up this time. After 18hrs, 59mins and 26s, I touched Scotland at 3.30am on Thursday 2 September.
What was the best thing about finishing? Being the first Irish woman and eleventh person in history to swim the North Channel is a huge achievement, but for me the best thing was winning my personal battle.
You are an inspiration to many people in open water swimming. Is there anyone that you particularly admire? There are so many people that I admire in open water swimming that it is difficult to single anyone out, but I would have to say that Lynne Cox was an inspiration to me and I will always admire her achievements.
Leading the way for televised swimming events across the country, the British Gas Great Salford Swim will be live on BBC television on Sunday 15 May. The swim has been scheduled as part of a 4.5hr celebration of sport in Manchester – alongside the Bupa Great Manchester Run and the Great City Games athletics championship – to be shown on BBC Two. Colin Hill, who organises the swim, told us: “The atmosphere around Manchester and Salford will be amazing." Like the other swims in the Great Swim series, the Salford swim, which takes place over a one-mile course at Salford Quays, near Old Trafford football stadium, attracts everyone from beginners to champions. Last year 2,000 people swam, and the race was won by World 5km Champion, Thomas Lurz. “The inaugural swim in Salford proved an enormous hit with swimmers last year, partly because of the unique nature of the course, which takes in two docks as well as the canal,” Hill said. This year he expects even more people to register for a place. Swimmers will set off in a series of waves, each comprising up to 300 swimmers, staged approximately every half an hour.
Entry costs £31.66, sign up on the website:
greatswim.org. For more info see our interview with Colin Hill, page 18.
Do you have your eye on another swimming goal? I have no immediate plans but there are other stretches of water that I would love to have a go at in the future!
What would you say to someone who wanted to achieve their swimming goals? Have confidence in yourself and your ability to achieve. Also, planning is so important, and, if at first you don’t succeed, then try and try again! Most of all enjoy it! It’s a wonderful sport.
Read more about Anne-Marie at theforceofnature-
northchannelswimmer.blogspot.com
Anne-Marie finally triumphed on her fourth attempt
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