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A member of Newry Swimming & Waterpolo Club has become the youngest swimmer ever to conquer the incredibly difficult North Channel.
Seventeen year-old Daniel Smyth a 6th form pupil at the Abbey CBS in a remarkable display of endurance, bravery, and determination completed the swim on Saturday 13 July in an awe-inspiring time of 12 hours, 26 minutes, and 44 seconds. (awaiting ratification from Irish Long Distance Swimming Association).
The gruelling ultra-marathon swim is known as the world’s hardest channel swim. Before diving into the cold waters Daniel had the words Mum (Elena), Dad (David), Cohen (brother) and Keith (coach) written on one arm with permanent marker, the other arm Indomitable, a reminder of his motivation for the day!
Daniel began his epic journey before dawn at Robbie's Point, Donaghadee, at 4:48 AM on Saturday morning. Battling the cold waters, a fresh northwest breeze, and the notorious Lion’s Mane jellyfish, Daniel's unwavering spirit saw him push through to finish on a tiny rocky beach directly below Dunskey Castle, south of Portpatrick.
In 2023, Daniel was part of the Chilli Dippers North Channel relay team, which set a record as the youngest relay team to swim the channel. Inspired by that experience, Daniel set his sights on conquering the channel solo.
The North Channel, stretching 34 km in a straight line but more realistically about 40 km due to tidal influences, is a formidable challenge. The swim's difficulty is compounded by the average water temperature of 12.7 degrees Celsius, which dropped to a chilling 11 degrees in the Beaufort's Dyke, the deepest part of the channel. Despite the harsh conditions, Daniel maintained an impressive pace of approximately 4 km per hour for the majority of the swim, slowing down in the final stretch due to the strong Scottish tides. The last 5 kms alone took nearly 3 hours, but Daniel's mental fortitude shone through as he continued to push toward his goal, even when progress felt agonizingly slow.
Daniel’s superhuman effort was rewarded after 5 PM when he touched land, the crew could see he was truly exhausted and coach Keith Garry supported to him to a safe landing on a narrow stony alcove between the cliffs. Daniel was greeted by the heartwarming applause of two young campers from the cliffs above, before collapsing to the ground with nothing left in his arms or legs.
Guided by the skilful pilot Jacqueline McClelland from Infinity Channel Swimming, Daniel’s crew included his father David, water polo teammates Finn Garry and Oran McKeever, and coach Keith Garry. Their support was instrumental in Daniel’s success.
"This achievement is a testament to Daniel's incredible dedication and perseverance," said Keith Garry, Daniel's coach. "He has shown remarkable mental and physical strength, qualities that are rare to find in someone so young."
Daniel arrived back to Bangor harbour with rapturous applause to family, friends and members of the Pulmonary Fibrosis team, where they celebrated with popping some fizzy bottles to mark the occasion.
For more photos and events from the day, visit Daniel’s Instagram at danielsmyth_swimming
One of the inspirations for Daniel’s swim was to raise money for Pulmonary Fibrosis NI, as his grandmother is unfortunately suffering from this condition. If you wish you can donate on his Just Giving page at daniel-smyth-swimming-pulmonaryfibrosisni
