Two Cork swimmers have set Channel-swimming records. Yesterday 15-year-old Owen O’Keeffe from Fermoy, Co Cork became the youngest Irish person ever to swim the English Channel.
He began his swim at 1.30am yesterday in Dover and made landfall in France at noon yesterday. Owen’s family spoke of their pride at his achievement yesterday.
His father George O’Keeffe had also assisted Lisa Cummins with her record making challenge the previous day.
Yesterday the Cork woman arrived back in her native city yesterday after becoming the first Irish person to swim the English Channel over and back in one go, taking just over 35 hours to complete the challenge.
Only 20 people worldwide have managed to complete the challenge that Ms Cummins undertook.
Lisa Cummins from Blackrock, Cork city, left Dover on the southeast coast of England shortly after 10.30am on Saturday and, accompanied by a support boat, she was back in England at 9.40pm on Sunday, having made the journey to Cap Gris Nez in France and back.
Two years ago, 26-year-old student Ms Cummins set herself two long-term goals: to complete a marathon and to swim across the English Channel and back between Dover and Cap Gris Nez.
She completed the Cork city marathon in 2007, but subsequently decided running wasn’t for her.
Instead, she focused completely on swimming and in early 2008 she booked the pilot boat that would guide her across the channel.
Ms Cummins, who is not a competitive swimmer, began training by building up laps in a pool. Initially she found swimming at sea very difficult, but she continued her training with the assistance of coach Eilis Burns.
Earlier this year she did a six-hour channel qualification swim in Malta.
George O’Keeffe also assisted Lisa Cummins with her challenge before his son’s swim yesterday said: “I actually brought her home from her boat last night. She is suffering quite a lot, but she is in good form and is preparing to fly home. Owen is very tired, but he is elated as you can imagine. We are going to feed him up and make him get some rest.”
Owen raised thousands of euro for the Irish Cancer Society arising from his swim. The fifth year student decided to undergo the challenge in memory of his grandmother who died of cancer.