The Luke Wadding Library at South East Technological University (SETU), in association with The Lifesaving Foundation, is honoured to host Nuala Moore, one of the worlds most experienced extreme swimmers, for a public talk on her inspiring journey and staying safe in open water.
Titled ‘Extreme Swimming - Swim Safely in Open Water’ the free event will take place at The Auditorium in SETU’s Cork Road Campus, Waterford from 7pm on Thursday, 22 February.
Hailing from Kerry, Nuala Moore is a household name throughout the extreme sea swimming community. From halcyon days of summer swims from her father’s fishing boat off the Dingle coast, to braving towering Atlantic winter waves, the self-coached swimmer constantly pushes boundaries while remaining steadfast in her respect for what she calls the “the belly of the beast.”
Nuala holds two Guinness World Records. One for her part in an international relay team that swam from Russia to the USA across the Bering Strait, during which she endured freezing swells, and the second for her pioneering cold-water swim through the deadly Drake Passage, a body of water between Cape Horn, Chile, and Antarctica’s South Shetland Islands. The Kerry woman was also the first Irish swimmer to complete 1,000 metres in zero-degree Celsius water – the third woman in the world to achieve such a feat back in 2013.
Identifying Risk
With that morning dip now a constant in many people’s lives, Nuala is using her wealth of experience to educate people on safe swimming. “I will bring the audience through a journey around the world of ice and extreme open water. I’ll explain why there is no one-size-fits-all risk as understanding limits is key in creating a stronger swimming skill set,” said Nuala.
“When swimmers tell me that they have fears in open water or cold, what I hear is that they are afraid of their ability to help themselves in the event of an incident. We all need to be able to identify risk and what failure looks like, that is the beauty of sharing,” she added.
Having a plan, swimming within your limits, and recognising the challenges of ‘cold water’ are just some basic tips from Nuala. At the event expect more in-depth insights and analysis as to how her open-water experiences can translate into a safer swimming environment for you.
John Connolly, director and founding member of The Lifesaving Foundation said that events like this are important in educating people to treat the sea with respect. “Swimmers, even strong swimmers, can sometimes experience life-threatening conditions without realising it. Even if swimming with a friend, you need to learn the signs of what we call ‘hidden distress’ and have the courage to act on it when that friend does not want to stop. Nuala has pushed the boundaries of extreme swimming in freezing conditions and knows the signs to watch,” said John.
Expect an engaging, inspirational, motivational, but above all, a grounded conversation on Nuala’s life and what she’s learned about the deep blue sea.
