I applied for Cork Distance Week in August 2022 and was honored (and honestly, shocked!) to be accepted to participate in this incredible opportunity. CDW is a 9 day training camp in Kinsale, Ireland led by Ned Denison. Marathon swimmers from all over the world unite to improve their physical and mental conditioning in the varied conditions at Sandycove Island. The original plan was for me to travel with two others from San Francisco who were both ultimately unable to make the trip. I was a bit nervous to attend alone, but as an extrovert who genuinely loves meeting new people, I had a feeling that it would all end up alright.
While I was waiting at baggage claim at the Dublin airport, I heard a few people talking about swimming and I thought it was likely they were also going to CDW. I decided to put myself out there and walked over to introduce myself. The two swimmers were Michelle Squyer from San Francisco and Simon Olliver from New Zealand, and they were in fact going to CDW! Meeting these two put me at ease and I was thrilled to have two new friends. Luckily, Simon was also staying the night in Dublin, so we met up later on for dinner and drinks.
I learned that he was just in San Francisco completing a Round Trip Angel Island swim with Pacific Open Water Swim Co. and my good friend Zach Margolis was his observer! The open water swimming community is such a small world.
The next day, we took the train together to Cork and my roommate, Kerry Yonushonis, picked us up at the train station after an accidental detour to the Cork Airport. Before arriving at our accommodations, Kerry drove us to Sandycove for our first glimpse at the island where the majority of our training would occur. I felt excited for this adventure to begin! We then checked into the Kinsale Holiday Village. There were several of us staying at the village, which had lovingly been nicknamed “Swimmer’s Village.”
A circle of chairs began forming in the center of the lawn, and soon it seemed like everyone was outside socializing. It would be reasonable to assume that a newcomer might feel insecure in this company, but that was not at all my experience. Many at the camp were CDW veterans and internationally accomplished marathon swimmers, but there was a certain humility amongst the group that made me to feel genuinely welcomed and at ease with my new friends.
Day 1: July 1
Before our first swim, Ned gave us a safety talk and explained the counterclockwise route we would be traversing around Sandycove Island. He explained the four corners of the island and how to safely navigate the particularities of each portion of the loop. We would enter the water from the slipway and were instructed to check in and out with volunteers to ensure that everyone was accounted for. Though I typically take my time when getting in, everyone at CDW plunged quickly into the 54F water, and I followed their lead. The water felt cool but not unfamiliar – I had been training in water as low as 46F all winter in San Francisco.
I swam two laps around the island and was glad to find myself pacing next to two women for the majority of the swim. It was low tide and the water was super clear, so I spent my swim admiring the varied aquatic plant life below and avoiding a number of jellyfish. When I returned to the slipway, I learned that I was swimming with Elizabeth Almond and Martha Wood, who were staying next door to me at the Swimmer’s Village.
In the afternoon, many of us participated in an event called the Vibes and Scribes Lee River Swim in Cork. This 2k race begins by jumping from a pier just west of St. Vincent’s Bridge in the north fork of the Lee River. About 500m before the finish, swimmers take a hard right around the Port of Cork and swim the remainder of the event against the current of the south fork of the Lee River.
I found myself in the first wave of swimmers, meaning my seed time was one of the 30 fastest for the event. This was surely a mistake! I am a decent swimmer, but I am not fast-fast. Instead of letting this be a point of stress, I accepted that I would be at the back of the first wave and would be passed by swimmers from later waves. During the race, we swam under 8 bridges and each was full of spectators cheering us along. The water was much warmer than at Sandycove and had a distinct yet indescribable taste.
Swimming upstream at the end of the race wasn’t too challenging, though it did feel like it was taking a long time to get to the finish. When I exited the water, a volunteer handed me a Coke. I was hesitant to drink it as I have literally never in my life drank soda, but there is a strong belief that drinking a Coke will prevent you from getting sick from the water, and I didn’t want to take any chances.
Afterwards, many of us passed the time enjoying beers and dancing on the pier while we waited for the awards ceremony to start. Unfortunately, there was an issue with the timing chips so most awards were not able to be presented. Beside getting to bond with other CDW swimmers, my favorite part of this event was being in a conga line led by the Lord Mayor of Cork!
Day 2: July 2
I entered the water a bit after Martha and Elizabeth, so I anticipated swimming alone. After rounding Corner 1, I decided to push the pace a bit and see if I could catch up to them. I did eventually find them, and the three of us joined with two other swimmers, Jason Betley and Linda Clarke, to complete three laps. We joked that Jason was the only one not wearing a pink cap in our group and that he would have to sort that out for our future swims together.
In the afternoon, I wandered around Kinsale with Jordan Iverson and Michelle Squyer. I walked into an art gallery called The Merchant Princess and made friends with two incredible queer women. I spent the afternoon chatting with them and was almost late to the evening swim!
Our pod was divided on how many laps we each wanted to do for the evening session. Jason was most ambitious with a goal of four, I was considering three, and Martha and Lizzy were planning for two. At the end of the third lap, Jason’s motivation proved to be contagious enough to keep me in the water for a fourth lap. My shoulders were feeling good and I wasn’t cold, so there really wasn’t a reason to get out of the water!
Day 3: July 3
We were still blessed with sunshine this morning, but it was much choppier on the backside of the island than it had been the previous two days. I did three laps around the island before deciding to get out and conserve some energy for the afternoon session, when we would take a field trip to Lough Hyne.
I always love checking out new swim spots, and I was especially excited about Lough Hyne after learning there are seahorses in the lake! (Spoiler: I didn’t see any, but still had an amazing swim). Ned had planned a 4k out-and-back route where we would circle a small rock adjacent to Bullock Island at the mouth of the sea before returning to the starting location. About halfway out, there is a narrow, rocky, underwater ledge that creates powerful rapids as the lake ebbs and floods. The lake ebbs for 8 hours and floods for 4 hours, and the rapids can be safely traversed only when the lake is flooding. Because our swim was planned during the 4-hour window when the lake was filling with sea water, we could ride the rapids on our return trip from the sea if we so desired.
The conditions on the lake were amazing, but I was having a difficult time keeping up with my pod. When I got to the mouth of the sea, the temperature dropped significantly and I was surprised to see my friends waiting for me in this cold patch of water! On the way back, I got stung in the bicep by a blue jellyfish. I swam over numerous different types of jellyfish in the lough and was surprised to only be stung once.
When we returned to the rapids, I rode through feet first. They were a bit faster than I anticipated and it was exhilarating! My pod was just ahead of me at the end of the rapids, and we all climbed out and rode through a second time. I took a riskier approach and went through head-first. When we got out of the water, I had a few minor cuts on my legs.
Day 4: July 4
I was feeling pretty low energy this morning and decided to swim two recovery laps. However, it was an incredibly gorgeous day and when we rounded the backside of the island, it was glassy. I was not pushing the pace at all and I was keeping up with my pod, so I decided to go around the island a third time. It was slightly choppier for lap three, but still calmer than the previous days. When we approached corner four, I looked at Jason and said, “Only one more lap to go, right?” He laughed and the two of us swam on to complete a fourth lap.
In the afternoon, a handful of CDW swimmers gave presentations on various topics relating to open water swimming at Temperance Hall in downtown Kinsale. After the talks, Jordan and I walked almost 6 miles around town. We enjoyed takeaway fish and chips from Dino’s for lunch in a small park off the side of the road before walking over the bridge that leads to Sandycove. We explored a small peninsula where Dock Beach and James Fort, the ruins of a harborside fortress from 1607.
Day 5: July 5
I felt even more low energy this morning. My pod was pulling progressively further away and something just felt off. I took a gel at the end of the second lap while they continued on around corner one. I decided it was best to stay inside of the cove and see if the gel would help boost my energy. I let a kayaker know I wasn’t feeling great and was planning to swim inside the cove and then swam towards the yellow buoy near corner three. When I reached the buoy, I wasn’t feeling any differently, so I reluctantly decided to swim back to the slipway and dry off. I was a little discouraged but also proud of myself for listening to my body and not pushing myself too hard. As I rewarmed on the seawall, I snapped some photos of my friends exiting the water.
In the afternoon, Jordan, Simon, and I walked downtown to check out the farmer’s market. While they enjoyed lunch, I was fighting waves of nausea as I struggled to drink a smoothie. I returned to Swimmer’s Village early to lay down, and decided it would be best to skip the evening swim and BBQ. I took some vitamin C, echinacea, and zinc. By the evening, I was feeling slightly better, but definitely not well enough to zap the little energy I had in the cold sea. I was sad to miss out on the swim and frustrated that my body wasn’t cooperating. Suddenly it occurred to me that I could walk to Sandycove and get a ride back after dinner. I wasn’t feeling great, but I walked slow and maintained a low heart rate for the four mile trek. It lifted my spirits to spend the evening in the fresh air with my friends instead of sitting alone in my bedroom.
Day 6: July 6
The wind picked up this morning, and the CDW group was scheduled to do an adventure point-to-point swim from Dock Beach to Sandycove. I had been looking forward to this swim and typically would be excited for the challenge of swimming in tough conditions, but I still wasn’t feeling great. I was torn on whether to participate, but worried about being a liability if I couldn’t finish the whole swim. I eventually decided to pass on the swim and rest at home. About 15 minutes into my leisurely morning, Kerry messaged to ask if there was anyone left at Swimmer’s Village because she had forgotten to bring the soup! I ran outside and nobody was around, so I decided to cut my rest short, get dressed, and carry the heavy soup container to Sandycove. I made it about a mile and a half before Kerry messaged again to tell me she was going to come pick me up. She had decided at the beach not to do the swim and though I would have happily carried the soup all the way to Sandycove, it was nice to get a ride. Simon and Todd had also decided not to swim, so we went on a brief walk on the trail overlooking Sandycove. It was incredibly beautiful up there!
I enjoyed cheering for the swimmers as they finished their wild journey. Usually at the end of swims, the temperature of the water would be the hot topic of discussion. This day was different. Not a single person remarked about the temperature, but EVERYONE noted how wild and chaotic the water was! As swimmers continued to exit the water energized by adrenaline, I noticed one of my friends approaching the slipway being towed by a kayak. She had that glassy look of hypothermia on her face, and my Critical Care Nursing and former Open Water Lifeguarding training kicked in. A few of us assisted her to get into a “car sauna” and I checked her pulse and asked her the four orientation questions. Someone brought us some warm liquid to drink and I helped her get undressed, dried off, and layered in warm clothing. I stayed with her in the car until she was reoriented and most of her shivering had abated. After this experience, I was glad not to have participated in the swim because it allowed me to be on land and help a dear friend.
By the evening, the weather had really picked up and it was storming. Many decided not to swim the afternoon session, but a handful of us intrepid adventurers showed up at Sandycove ready to test our grit. Earlier in the day, I realized that I had a bit of a mental block about swimming. I was feeling much better physically but was unmotivated to swim. When this has happened in the past, I’ve found that the best cure is to get back in the water.
When I got out of my car at Sandycove, Ned approached me with a quite serious look on his face and asked if I was planning to do a lap of the island. The water was much wilder than I had yet seen, and I had considered just staying inside of the cove. There were large overhead waves crashing at corner 1 and whitecaps inside of the cove. I asked him for his input, and he told me that I was fast enough to swim around if I so desired, but I would have to follow a specific set of instructions for how to get around safely.
He grouped the 15 or so swimmers together and began a safety talk. Swim wide. Get through the break. SPRINT 50 meters straight out and stay wide around the backside of the island… wider than you think you need to. Corner two would also be tricky with potential for crashing into the island if we get too close. After that, the tough bit would be behind us. One lap maximum tonight, no argument.
My pod looked at each other unsure of what we would do. We decided to swim up towards the break and then quickly check in with each other to decide how to proceed. At our check in, Martha, Linda, Adrian, and I decided we would like to give the backside of the island a go. I stayed close to Adrian, who was the resident Sandycove expert in our group. After we got through the break and the sprint, we stopped to make sure we were all still together. The water was so swelly and choppy, and I questioned whether I made the right choice. I was definitely having fun, but was a little uneasy about being out in the ocean in these conditions. I felt confident in my pod and we all looked out for each other as we continued making forward progress in the chaos. As we approached corner 2, Martha reminded me to stay wide and it made me giggle. She knows I pull left and tend to swim over the rocks. We angled around that corner without incident and then sighted on the three yellow buoys to get us to corner 3. We headed right into the slipway and were all smiles after our wild adventure. This adventure left me feeling proud of how much I have grown as an open water swimmer in the past two years. I had the experience to remain calm in probably the roughest conditions I have ever swam in, as well as the understanding that nature is always in charge and the ocean is to be respected.
Day 7: July 7
With the weather forecast showing continued stormy and windy conditions, a subgroup of CDW swimmers planned to travel to Lough Hyne this morning to complete their 6-hour English Channel Qualifying swim. I had considered joining, but at the last minute decided that I wanted to swim at Sandycove and spend some time socializing with friends. I had done an 8-hour swim (my longest ever swim!) the week before traveling to Kinsale, and everything had gone so well on that swim that I wanted it to remain my longest training swim before my Length of Lake Tahoe attempt.
Conditions were still rough at Sandycove, but slightly less so than the prior evening. Ned was first in the water, and I took off after him. I stayed to his right around the entire backside of the island, swimming in perfect tandem with our fearless leader. I was happy to spend some time in the water with him, but lost him after rounding corner 2 and so finished my lap alone.
Near corned 4, I ran into Linda Clarke, Liz Fry, and Courtney Paulk. After a short discussion about whether we should explore up the creek, we decided to swim together back towards the yellow buoys. We crabbed our way from buoy to buoy until we were back at Corner 2. For our efforts, we were rewarded with an exceptionally fun body surfing experience back towards the slipway. I spent the afternoon walking around downtown Kinsale with Kerry, Asha, and Susan McKay. We had a special lunch for Sue, who was leaving CDW a bit early to attempt the English Channel! If successful, this swim would be the third in her Triple Crown. (Spoiler: She did amazing!).
In the evening, we met at the Trident Hotel for a special dinner. Each year, participants at CDW who have earned the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming are honored for their accomplishment at the Triple Crown Dinner. My sweet friend, Simon, asked me to present him with his crown… what an honor! If that moment wasn’t sentimental enough, my roommate, Kerry, filled the dining hall with her infectious joy as she was surprised by receiving her award. She completed her Triple Crown by successfully crossing the English Channel immediately before Cork Distance Week, and so thought she wouldn’t be honored at the dinner until 2024.
Day 8: July 8
This morning was the Champion of Champions. Because of the unfavorable weather, the event organizers decided it was safest to deviate from the usual 5 laps-3 laps-1 lap around the island. Instead, they set a 1000-meter buoy course inside of the cove, and we would swim 3 laps-2 laps-1 lap around the course. This was my first time doing an event of this nature, and I was interested to see how my body would handle the multiple swims in cold water.
Even inside of the cove, it was quite choppy and I swallowed a good amount of water on the first three laps. Rewarming went swimmingly and I was able to maintain my pace for the next two laps. I slowed down a bit on the final lap but was overwhelmingly pleased with how this felt. I would definitely be interested in doing another event with multiple back-to-back swims!
It was so wild inside of the cove that after the event was over, a few guys with surfboards paddled out to catch the break INSIDE of the cove. I watched them surf as I enjoyed soup and croissants from the slipway.
Day 9: July 9
I didn’t swim this morning, and instead sat on the wall and took in my final views of Sandycove Island. I thoroughly enjoyed this training experience, and was feeling sad that my time at this beautiful cove was coming to a close. Overall, Cork Distance Week was an incredible training experience, and I am thankful to Ned Denison for the opportunity. I connected with so many inspiring swimmers and am looking forward to the next time I may join them in the water.
Kerianne Swims 
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