Ger
Kennedy Irish Ice Swim Record Holder
2.1km
March 2014
Lough
Dan, Co Wicklow
Report: Patricia Murphy
While many athletes hit the comfort of the gym over the
cold winter months, Ice Swimmer Ger Kennedy was making the most of sub five
degree temperatures. A knee replacement
and hip replacement in his early forties was no setback for Ger in his attempts
to go beyond endurance. His driving
ambition to be the first Irish person to swim beyond the standard Ice Mile
distance was deliriously realized on 1st March.
Accompanied by swimming buddy Allen Evans and a full support team in
Lough Dan, Co Wicklow, his official distance and time was recorded as
1.3miles/2,100 metres in a chilling time of 51:10. His attempt at the world record distance of
2,400m was not to be on the day, falling short by only one length.
The course was a measured 300 metre straight, using two
buoys as markers for the turnaround points.
With a water temperature of 3.3
degrees celsius and a wind chill factor of 2.5 degrees celsius, Ger pushed his mind
and body on, into a state of hypothermia.
“I was never out of my depth,” he explains “so could have touched down
at any stage. We have to submit all our
safety procedures, checks and readings along with the attempt for it to be
official.” Standing close by at all times were two waders
in the water, two ribs, two kayaks, three Redcross emergency medical team and
his anxious partner Alice, willing him on.
Quite a number of Irish people have completed the Ice
Mile which Ger achieved in February after a winter of outdoor skin training in
lakes and sea. Only a handful of people
in the world however have completed the 2.1km distance. “It’s
baby strokes all the way with this type of endurance attempt,” said 44 year old
Ger who was forced out of competing in triathlons in his early forties. Unable to get back into any impact training
after two separate operations, his decision to include swimming as
rehabilitation five weeks post surgery created a whole new world of challenges and
with that, limitations that needed to be
pushed. “Being superfit going into the
operations was a big help in my recovery and swimming was really all I could do
afterwards.”
The build up to these two milestones for Ger were hard
earned, trying to keep up the training while seeking out the coldest
waters. “I was averaging about 15km per
week in lakes and seas but rarely could we get below 6 degrees in the sea.” With his acclimatization at risk and the
window for low temperatures closing fast, Ger and his resourceful training
buddies set up base camp wherever they could.
“We knew where to find the colder lakes like Lough Ouler and Lough
Firrib but they weren’t accessible so we used to hike up for about an hour with
all our gear,” he said. Keeping health
and safety as a priority their equipment
included a recovery tent, four heaters and a range of other safety equipment. “We managed to do this a number of times,
setting up the tent and going through correct recovery procedures. You can’t train for this on your own and it
is important always to swim with a buddy.”
Having practiced the steps in accordance with the knowledge
and recommendations of other experienced members among the endurance swimming
community, they were confident that when the main event happened it was well
rehearsed. “We were asking a lot of our
friends and family to support us in this,” said Ger who recorded a body
temperature of 32 degrees post swim. “It
was a real test for everyone, especially the medical team who may never have
experienced someone in such a state of hypothermia. It was a learning curve for all of us.” Recovery in the heated tent included a
technique of using hot warm towels wrapped around various areas of the body, an
ECG and a series of basic questions and answers. “You know what’s happening but it all feels a
little strange,” said Ger who took about ten minutes to return to normal and
fully appreciate the enormity of what he had just achieved.
And as Ger is not a man to rest on his laurels, he
already has his sights set on some major challenges in the coming year - A 35km
trecherous swim across the channel in July and a superlong 24 hour non stop
swim along the coastline from Bray to Wicklow in September. “This is the build up that I need to achieve
my attempt to swim from Holyhead to Dublin in August next year (2015),” he said
which would gain him world master recognition.
In the meantime you can catch up with Ger on his dawn swims around
DunLaoghaire and Dalkey or join him in his ironman series from Killiney in June
and the spectacular night swim off Seapoint in August.
