By Jonathan Brown
Jenny Cray has added another remarkable achievement to her growing list of open-water swimming accomplishments after completing a gruelling swim across the North Channel on Monday 10 August.
Setting off from the Gobbins near Larne at 2am, Jenny battled her way across 33 miles of open water before finally reaching Portpatrick in Scotland 16 hours and 49 minutes later.
The epic crossing saw Jenny, who is originally from Belfast but now lives in Temple, become just the 202nd person to complete the North Channel, and the 86th female swimmer to achieve the feat.
Organised by Infinity Swim Academy, based in Newry, the swim presented Jenny with some of the toughest conditions she has faced in the water, with fatigue, dehydration and the cold all taking their toll.
She was also stung by jellyfish early into her swim, adding another painful obstacle to an already demanding challenge.
Despite the physical difficulties, Jenny refused to give in.
As the hours passed, she battled increasing fatigue and dehydration and began to show signs of hypothermia, but continued to dig deep as she edged closer to the Scottish coastline.
With friends and experienced open-water supporters Ursula Tumelty and Michael Starkey crewing for her, Jenny eventually completed the crossing after almost 17 hours in the water, and the swim has now been ratified by the ILDSA (Irish Long Distance Swimming Association).
The achievement comes a year after the swimming teacher and mother-of-two completed her 10.6-mile swim from St John’s Point in Killough to Newcastle Harbour in seven hours and 30 minutes.
