Portadown girl Andrea Judge-Guy, plus friends Grace McLaughlin, Nuala Glynn, Jane Reilly, her daughter Anna Reilly and Penny Nicholson took part in the mammoth challenge on June 12 swimming from Dover to the north coast of France . They all hail from various parts of NI including Bangor, Groomsport, Ballyholme and Newtownards. Did you know with an ad-lite subscription to NorthernIrelandWorld, you get 70% fewer ads while viewing the news that matters to you.
They are raising money for The National Society For Phenylketonuria (NSPKU) as one of their team members suffers from this metabolic condition. So far they have raised £1,745. Advertisement Advertisement Calling themselves ‘Misneach’ – the Irish word for courage – the women swam bare-skinned and fearless (no wetsuits as per the the rules of the Channel Swimming Association which state that swimmers are only allowed to wear one cap, a pair of goggles and one swimsuit that doesn’t go past the shoulders or below the knees).
The sextet began their gruelling swim at 3:25am on the morning of 12 June and endured the 14C waters for the next 12 hours and 3 minutes in their quest to reach to coast of France. They were guided by the crew of Louise Jane Charters across the Channel who navigated a safe path for them, avoiding the many vessels using the waterway. The English Channel is known as one of the most dangerous bodies of water to cross and is notorious for unpredictable weather.
The women, however, were encouraged by.
