The amazing Kerry woman who is swimming against the tide
Weeshie Fogarty on the remarkable feats of endurance swimmer Nuala Moore
IT can be said without fear of contradiction that Kerry has produced some inspirational sports people who have achieved amazing things in life in their chosen discipline. I am fortunate being involved in the media to have had the privilege of meeting many of these people and in doing so they make you realize that really the sky is the limit as far as they are concerned. Shoot for the stars is their motto and who knows where you will land. Just when you believe that you know every thing about Kerry sport and are familiar with all the legendary names along comes a person that literally knock you for six with their list of achievements and accomplishments.
Kerry ladies in particular have covered themselves in glory. Names such as Olympian Gillian O’Sullivan, Irish rugby star Siobhan Fleming, Clare Fitzgerald Irish record holder in javelin and discus throwing, international soccer star Savannah McCarthy, all rounder Mary Geaney, and of course our two brilliant handballers from Ballymacelligott, Maria Daly and Ashley Prendiville. And then a phone call some time ago from a sporting friend informing me of a remarkable lady I should meet and this set me on the trail of one of the most outstanding Kerry women I have ever met. And so this week I introduce you to a lady who might be considered one of the greatest Kerry sports heroes of all. Judge for yourself.
The name Nuala Moore has appeared in press reports at various times here in our county but her story when I invited her as my guest on my Radio Kerry programme In Conversation literally took my breath away. Here was a woman who had achieved so many remarkable things that she really should make all of us question just how much we have pushed ourselves in life. Her story is one of the most amazing of all.
Nuala Moore was brought up in the town of Dingle, the sea was in her blood as her father and grandfather had been fishermen in Donegal. Surrounded by the most beautiful and challenging waters in the world, sea swimming became her first love. From a young age her late father would literally throw her into the sea around Dingle, Ventry and Ballydavid, and as she told me “I was never asked could I swim and I learned very fast, loved the water. Winning was never important to me-the sea was my biggest competitor,” is her motto.
Nuala is an extreme longdistance endurance swimmer and her accounts of her ice swimming in subzero temperatures would literally put the hair standing on your head. This most grueling and indeed dangerous of sports has seen her travel all over the world competing as far from home as Finland, Russia and China.
The Kerry woman has competed in a 1,000m swim at the Russian Winter Swimming Championships in water temperatures of 0.3 degrees C, also swimming at -33 degree air temperature. Her trip to Finland earlier this year has seen her compete in a 450m endurance swim in the World Winter Swimming Championships where she won a bronze medal. In 2006 she had her first big challenge.
“With a group of experienced swimmers (six of us) we took on 830 miles around the coast of Ireland, fifty six days, thirty five swim days, in the water for four to six hours a day, twenty miles off shore. My great love for endurance swimming was well and truly born”. This swim is the longest marathon staged swim in history in some of the most hostile waters. And the Dingle woman was there in the very heart of the drama.
Two years later, 2008, she swam the English Channel Relay, England to France, touched the French shore, turned around and returned to England in 25 hours 15 minutes with four other swimmers. Nuala’s sport is, and I put this to her, very much under the radar here in Ireland, and she agreed. “People do not have an understanding of what we do, you don’t see our faces and people can't see the pain and extreme efforts we are going through, it's not a crowd pleaser.”
Then just last year she participated in one of the most dangerous, longest and audacious swims of all. The Kerry lady with her friend Ann Marie Ward from Donegal were invited with the greatest ice swimmers from sixteen other nations and a massive back up team to participate in the Bering Strait Swim from Russia to America under the Russian Eastern Military Command.
The 56-six mile relay is one of the sports most dangerous swims. They faced large volatile water, heavy fog, 80knt winds, relentless waves, currents and water temperatures as low as 2C degree, orcas and toothed walruses. This collective effort of Nuala and her team must be recognised as an astonishing example of exceptional courage, sheer guts and complete faith in each other. And recognized it was, as it was selected as the 2013 World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year.
Quiet and unassuming, a person that takes everything in her stride when I discussed the dangers of this adventure with Nuala she shrugged it off with the words, “yes I suppose there was a lot of danger involved and so much could have gone wrong, but so many thing went right, which was the most important thing, it was an amazing experience and I was so proud of being from Kerry”.
Our county should be very proud of this amazing lady. Among the many honors bestowed on her has been a nomination for the 2013 world open water swimming woman of the year, she was awarded the Irish long distance swimming Association female swimmer of the year, raised over €85,000 for charity. She also combines her busy life with being North Channel secretary of the ILDSA.
Really I have only barely scratched the surface of what this remarkable lady has achieved. We constantly hear of the sacrifices, time and effort others devote to their chosen sports but consider for a moment the achievements of this Dingle woman and then decide for yourself where exactly she comes in the pantheon of Kerry sporting legends.
My answer is very simple. At the very top.