On 2 September 2010 Anne Marie Ward became the first Irish woman and the 11th swimmer in history to swim the notorious North Channel between Ireland and Scotland. On 19 June, she will be honored at the United Nations Headquarters, New York. The ceremony will be attended by Olympians, world champions, elite coaches and top names including Gordon Lewis Pugh who is famous for swimming in the Antarctic and Martin Strel who has swum down the Amazon.
It has been a year of highs for Anne Marie. In January 2011, Anne Marie was awarded World Open Water Swimming woman of the year, the highest honour that any open water swimmer can achieve. It is the first time that an Irish Open Water swimmer has ever achieved this level of appreciation from the World Open Water community.
Anne Marie’s swim across the north channel showed a remarkable display of bravery and determination. In 2008 Anne Marie spent 17.5hrs swimming but tides would not allow her team to get her to Scotland. In 2009 after 2.5hrs Anne Marie was rescued after bad weather set in and she was no longer able to continue. In 2010 Anne Marie was hospitalized after swimming through jellyfish for 5 hours as the toxins would not allow her body to function. Four weeks later in September 2010 Anne Marie touched Scotland after 18hrs 59mins swimming in 12 degree water, without a wetsuit, through darkness and cold.
