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Big summer success for Jersey open water swimmers

Julia Morris completed a solo Jersey-to-France swim. Credit: Jersey Long Distance Swimming club

Jersey's open water swimming community is celebrating a big summer!

Fay de Gruchy, 53, completed a solo swim around Jersey in 11 hours and 50 minutes.

She battled choppy seas, cramps, sickness, and several jellyfish stings to successfully complete the circumnavigation on her second attempt.

Fay said:

"This was by far the biggest solo endurance challenge I've ever taken on. I knew it wasn't going to be easy, but I was determined to finish. There were tough moments out there, but stopping was never an option.

"I suffered with cramp and was sick several times, but there was never a point where I thought, 'I can't do this'. My mind just kept repeating: 'I do hard things. This is what I came for. I will finish."

Earlier in the summer, Julia Morris battled through rough sea conditions to complete a solo Jersey-to-France swim in nine hours and 24 minutes.

Observer Sally Minty-Gravett said:

"The last four hours were very tough, but Julia coped brilliantly and kept swimming strongly.

"She should be very proud."

Luke Edmonds also completed the solo Jersey-to-France crossing in a time of seven hours and 47 minutes.

A team of five Jersey-born sea swimmers, competing under the name Chînq Sirènes Jèrriaises (Five Jersey Mermaids), are also celebrating.

The team of Hayley Butlin, Gemma Lever, Janine Milner, Katie Blackmore, and Jane Clarke completed a round-island relay in 11 hours and 16 minutes.

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