Doyle returns to complete North Channel Swim

By Alex Dunne

KINGSWOOD’S Rachel Doyle became the third Irish person to complete the North Channel swim when she reached Scottish shores last Sunday afternoon.

Doyle, who swims for Phoenix Masters Swimming Club in Clondalkin, completed the 35km-long swim in 13 hours and four minutes.

She attempted the feat last year but had to retire 7km from the end, after her progress was slowed by difficult tides and being stung by jellyfish, but she was “back with a vengeance” this year and managed to fulfil her goal.

“When I got close to the Scottish coast and saw those wonderful windmills getting closer I nearly wept, thinking “this is it, nearly there” said Doyle, who also described the challenge as “absolutely massive”.

Doyle becomes only the 34th person and the 11th woman to achieve the feat.

She previously swam across the English Channel in 2012, and said that her goal is to complete the “Ocean’s Seven”, a series of seven channel swims worldwide, including the English and North Channel.

The North Channel swim is known as one of the world’s toughest open water swims, due to the strong currents and cold temperatures, with water temperature usually as low as nine degrees.

Stretching from Donaghadee in County Down to the Mull of Galloway in Scotland, the dis-tance is 35km as the crow flies, but Doyle says she trained for a 40km swim, as any attempt to make it does not run in a straight line.