Borrisokane duo for Ice Swimming World Championships

Borrisokane’s William Murphy and Greg Starr will be representing Ireland at the Ice Swimming World Championships in France this week.

They are among the 32 strong squad representing Ireland in the different disciplines and distances, with William taking on the longest event, the Ice Kilometre, a 1000m swim, as well as the 500m & 100m Freestyle, & 100m breaststroke while Greg Starr will be competing in the 100m freestyle, 100m backstroke and 250m freestyle events.

This is the fifth Ice Swimming World Championships, which take place in Samoens, in the French Alps. A famous ski resort, Samoens boasts a beautiful lake which freezes over every year, perfect for ice swimming. A purpose-built pool is cut into the ice, with lanes and kick boards, almost exactly like an indoor pool here.

To be an official ice swim, the water temperature must be below 5°C but it is not unusual for the ice to freeze at the top as the air temp is a lot lower. It is expected to snow and freeze heavily this week.

William and Greg regularly train in Lough Derg, with temperatures pre-Christmas hitting as low as 1°C, breaking the ice in Portumna and Skehanagh in order to train.

William Murphy has been cold water swimming for a number of years and is a member of the Dublin Walrus and Limerick Narwhals swimming groups. This year William is also on the Ireland Ice Swimming IISA board, helping to promote safe cold-water swimming and dipping all over the island. He completed his Ice Mile swim last winter and is now attending his first World Championships. Coming from a Triathlon and Ironman background, William is also training for Norseman, one of the most extreme Iron Distance races in the world.

Greg Starr started winter swimming four years ago and during lockdown increased times and distances in Lough Derg under the safe guidance of William, and has recently also joined the Limerick Narwhals group. Having completed Ironman Ireland in Cork in August, Greg will also be attending his first Ice Swimming World Championships.

Races start on Thursday, 12th January, with over 500 competitors from 42 countries, competing from 50m sprint races, all the way up the 1000m, Ice Kilometre which is the flagship event. The races will all be streamed live on the International Ice Swimming Association IISA Facebook Page. Keep an eye on social media for updates on heat times and races.

William and Greg are part of a group that swim regularly in the fantastic facilities of Portumna Water Recreation area. If you are interested in taking part in cold water or open water swimming, contact them via social media channels.

Please practice safety at all times around water, especially during winter. Never swim alone and always pay attention to the weather forecast. Those taking part are experienced swimmers and have specific protocols in place for safety and for warming up after cold exposure.