An award-nominated and record-breaking aquaphile has once again taken to the open waters as part of a relay team that on Friday August 30 smashed a Dál Riata record – despite the group only forming a week before!
Andrea Judge-Guy, from Portadown, is no stranger to long distance, wild water swimming.
As a Sportsperson of the Year Finalist in this year’s Armagh I People of the Year Awards, Andrea has achieved so much in open water – particularly in the last number of years.
Related: People of the Year Awards: Meet those nominated for Sportsperson of the Year
In this year alone, she was one of six women who braved the English Channel to raise valuable funds for the National Society for Phenylketonuria (NSPKU).
In 2023, she formed part of an all-female relay team who became the first people ever to swim a 44-kilometre stretch of the Irish coastline.
And, in 2022, Andrea notably broke the previous course record at Dundalk Bay on her first ever solo marathon swim in July.
Now – forming part of what she describes as a “brilliant” five-person relay team – Andrea is beaming about the new Dál Riata relay skins record (non-wetsuit).
Contributing to the record breaking-brilliance was Steven Grimley, originally from Portadown but now living in Newry, Paul Quinn from Camlough, a 15-year-old Joseph Salisbury and Andrea’s close “swimming buddy”, Paula Newell, from Newtownards.
Interestingly, Andrea said her decision to join the team was to help Steven out of a little hot water!
Speaking to Armagh I, Andrea said: “Steven had planned this relay with Paul, Joseph and another guy but he unfortunately broke his elbow.”
Having been friends with Steven for many years and knowing that she would take to a relay like a duck to water, Steven made the call.
Added Andrea: “So, I got a call last Saturday to jump in this relay. Paula and I had another swim planned but the weather had blown it out so I asked if Paula could come and they said of course!”
Together, the quintet travelled by boat on the morning of August 30, from Cushendun, Antrim to their starting point at the Mull of Kintyre, Scotland.
At precisely 1.24pm they were off with Steven leading the charge and the others taking the plunge thereafter in hourly rotations.
Said Andrea: “I know it was a beautiful day but my goodness the water was rough.
“There were big, big swells and it was quite rough at Mull of Kintyre. Steven got it very tight for the first hour, it was big, fast water.”
But luck was on their side – or rather on their bellies!
“We all got dolphins!” she said. “It’s supposed to be very lucky to have dolphins with you.”
“Everybody else loved it but it scared the life out of me.
“It is beautiful when you look back and see what has happened and that experience is amazing but at the time I was loving it but freaked out at the same time.
“The babies were going belly to belly with you.
“They were the most amazing colours, they weren’t dark like the older ones; they had lots of white in them, they were beautiful.”
The beauty wasn’t restricted to the depths of the channel either.
Gushed Andrea: “Dál Riata is beautiful, absolutely stunning.
“The coastline at the Mull of Kintyre and Northern Ireland is stunning.”
Choppy conditions aside, the five finished in an incredible seven hours and 30 minutes and 39 seconds, beating the previous record of seven hours, 33 minutes and 16 seconds.
“We were a brilliant wee team, we had a brilliant crew, we had the best channel vessels, we did it through Infinity – they are the best in the business – everything just worked out perfectly,” she said.
And in a final word of warning to the competitive swimmer, she remarked: “You always need to be swim ready because you could just get a call! It just took me to be swim ready and I was able to do it.”
The team are now awaiting official ratification by the Irish Long Distance Swimming Association (ILDSA).
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