Aidan Knight, swimming for Pieta House and KBG Syndrome Awareness
Charities gain from Knight’s Shannon swim
A man who is swimming the River Shannon for charity has raised over €11,000 in a week.
A former teacher at St Thomas’ school in Jobstown and then principal of Our Lady of Good Counsel BNS in Drimnagh, Aidan Knight (61) decided to swim the whole length of the river to raise money for Pieta House and American foundation KBG Syndrome Awareness who will help a family friend living over there.
His swim, which started in Dowra, Co Cavan, on Monday, September 1, is now ongoing among longer sessions on the fine days and challenging weather conditions at times.
With his father, his two sisters and old friend Mick Bolger – who are taking care of Aidan from a boat and a campervan along the way – he is set for a swim of 245 kilometres to be done in about a fortnight.
Right on the first day, south-western winds against Aidan’s direction didn’t contribute to the best start, but on the second day he went straight back to feeling “well and ready for more” as his crew shared on the dedicated Facebook page ‘A Knight on the Shannon.’
After stopping for a breather in Leitrim village, Aidan ‘aced’ into Carrick-on-Shannon on Day Three, feeling “strong and into the groove.”
The crew had their first visitors and prepared for Day Four’s “longer leg” to Rooskey, a 27km swim that didn’t scare Aidan away.
He found himself facing “difficult conditions” again on Day Six, on the way from Lanesborough, Co Longford, to Lecarrow, Co Roscommon.
“Saturday, September 6, was a very challenging day for Aidan, strong winds making progress very tough,” read the Facebook page. “But he battled to complete 7km from Lanesborough to Lecarrow where we moored in the afternoon.”
Hoping that the wind would subside after the weekend, the crew took a rest day and acknowledged the “super” progress made given the conditions.
“Many ups and downs, but always going forward,” the crew wrote, while Aidan prepared for his following destination, Hodson Bay in Co Westmeath.
Speaking to The Echo ahead of his swim, Aidan explained that the river has always been part of his life as he was born and raised for the first years of his life on a boat in Athlone.
The family then moved to Co Tipperary but kept the habit of sailing, swimming, canoeing and fishing in the local lake.
Later in life Aidan took on running as his main activity to stay healthy but once that became too difficult for his body, it was clear to him that he had to go back to the water.
Once retired, he said he was looking for a “new challenge” and swimming the Shannon felt perfect, while also giving him the chance to do good for the community.
Ahead of the challenge, the crew had only raised €1,600 and had set a target in the region of €10,000 meaning that they went beyond it only a week later.
To follow Aidan’s challenge, follow ‘A Knight on the Shannon’ on Facebook and Instagram, as he will also wear a watch tracking his swim.
To donate, visit HERE.
