The swimmers have raised more than £15,000 to be shared between the RNLI and the Jo Walters Trust after they completed a 16-mile open water swim from Arran to Troon.
Now the Arran TrooNautics swim group is seeking ratification from the British Long Distance Swimming Association for the event.
The swim date was delayed by bad weather and they eventually started on 1 October from Arran before sunrise at 5.18am, arriving on Barassie beach, near Troon, 15 hours 19 minutes later at 8.37pm. The air temperature was quite brisk and the water temperature was a chilly 13 degrees, rising to 14 degrees during the day.
Coach Chris Sifleet of Swim4Miles said, ‘The two teams did an amazing job completing the challenge. Swimmers coming out of the water were often very shivery but they were generally back up on deck encouraging their teammates within an hour of their swim. No one flagged or complained. Everyone just got on with the job.’
One of the swimmers, Katherine Self, said, ‘There were a few jellyfish stings along the way and we also spotted many eels and swam alongside seals and porpoises.’
She added, ‘It was great support to see the Coastguard Search and Rescue helicopter hovering above me during one of my hour swims.’
The Jo Walters Trust was founded by Lucy Johnston in memory of her 28-year-old sister Jo who died in a cycling accident.
Lucy said, ‘We had a wonderful day and the support we had along the way with lots of encouraging facebook messages and donations really spurred us along. It was lovely to know so many people were rooting for us.’
Some of the money raised will go to send a group of young carers from Ayrshire on an Outward Bound project. The donation page is still open if anyone would like to donate: https://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/arrantotroonswim
For press enquiries, please contact Tracey O’Sullivan on 07970 395 924 or email [email protected]
RNLI media contacts:
Or Richard Smith, RNLI Public Relations Manager for Scotland on 01738 642956, 07786 668903 or [email protected]
Or Henry Weaver, RNLI Press Officer for Scotland, 01738 642946, 07771 943026, [email protected]
The RNLI charity saves lives at sea. Its volunteers provide a 24-hour search and rescue service around the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland coasts. The RNLI operates 238 lifeboat stations in the UK and Ireland and more than 240 lifeguard units on beaches around the UK and Channel Islands. The RNLI is independent of Coastguard and government and depends on voluntary donations and legacies to maintain its rescue service. Since the RNLI was founded in 1824, its lifeboat crews and lifeguards have saved over 146,000 lives.
