Waterbaby: Steve Redmond, marathon swimmer

Steve Redmond is well on his way to achieving his goal of becoming the first person to complete the Ocean Seven Swim Challenge. So far he has completed four of the epic swims: the English Channel, the North Channel, the Catalina Channel, and the Straits of Gibratar. He will swim the Molokai Channel (Hawaii), the Cook Strait (New Zealand) and the Tsugaru Strait (Japan) in 2012.

I started swimming Lime Grove Pool in Shepherd’s Bush, London. By the time I was 6 or 7 I couldn’t get enough of it and joined a swimming club. I’ve been addicted ever since.

The lessons with the club, and my school, were great as they inspired me to always be as good as I could be. I was a member of the Hammersmith Penguins and swam four nights a week. Because I loved it, it always seemed easy. When I was ten, however, we moved back to Ireland where there were few pools: my swimming was put on hold for a few years.

I got into open water swimming through taking part in triathlons. I’m based in Co Cork, Ireland and train in Lough Ine which is a mix of salt and fresh water. Originally I swam in a wetsuit and completed numerous triathlons including the Lanzarote Ironman in 2008. Then a friend began training for an English Channel swim and I thought this would be a natural progression for me.

Endurance swimming was a challenge. The wetsuit was consigned to the wardrobe, and it was quite different discipline to train for: to improve stroke and efficiency rather than speed.

After completing the North Channel (38 km between Northern Ireland and Scotland) in 2010, Steve Munatones of Open Water Source approached me about completing the rest of the Channels. I’d never even heard of this challenge before and wondered if it were possible. Now I’m in the middle of it, I’m sure it is.

My favourite place to swim is Lough Ine where I train: it is a two mile lap around the edge of the lough and feels like a wilderness even though it’s just 10 minutes from the nearest town. It presents me with a different swim every time, but always feels like home.

My immediate plan is to finish the last three channels in this odyssey, remain injury free and sane! The training is constant, and I’m pushing the limits and patience of those around me.

My swimming tip? Try working with the water instead of against it, and use the body’s rotation to get some forward momentum before you stroke even begins.

Photo supplied by Steve’s sponsors Aqua Sphere