By Julie Waters
A LOCAL woman is planning to become the first member of a local sea swimming club to swim the treacherous North Channel.
Holly Monson, who is a member of the Donaghadee-based Chunky Dunkers, is planning to raise money for two charities by swimming from Northern Ireland to Scotland later this summer.
With a fundraising target of £2,000, Holy has already raised over £1,700 for two charities close to her heart.
Holly, who confessed she is ‘obsessed with swimming’, hopes to raise as much money as possible for The Irish Whale and Dolphin Group (IWDG) and The Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT).
Swimming across the North Challenge is no mean feat; the 34.5km stretch of water between Northern Ireland and Scotland is considered one of the toughest swims in the Oceans Seven challenge.
Consisting of seven open water swims across some of the world’s most challenging sea channels, the North Channel swim is renowned for its cold water, Lions’ Mane jellyfish, and challenging currents.
Holly, a physiotherapist, hopes to complete her North Channel challenge before she swaps swimming with Donaghadee’s Chunky Dunkers to the fresh waters of New Zealand later this year.
Sea swimming with the Chunky Dunkers since 2017, Holly now hopes to be the first swimmer ‘from this gorgeous bunch of humans’ to swim across the North Channel.
Speaking of her inspiration, Holly said: “There are so many reasons that I want to swim the North Channel. I am one of the Chunky Dunkers in Donaghadee and every year we see swimmers come from all over the world (to swim the channel) and we get to meet some amazing human beings, you are in awe.”
In preparation for her North Channel feat, Holly has already undertaken a number of challenges, including swimming the length of Strangford Lough, along Carlingford Lough and 21km along the coast of County Louth.
Said Holly: “I have completed four 20km plus swims in the past year.”
Holly’s training began in earnest in January 2024, as she explained her passion for swimming first took hold when she was in her twenties.
“I didn’t grow up swimming, I was a dancer throughout my youth, so I’ve retrained my body in this sport,” she said.
“Being a Chunky Dunker I get to swim in the North Channel every day, it is the most amazing water, it is home to me. I am completely in love with the ocean, it is a deep love.”
Holly explained why she was keen to support her two chosen charities. “These charities help to protect, research and support our unique ocean habitat on the Scottish and Irish coasts. From whale sightings and data collection, to aiding stranded marine creatures on our beaches and research expeditions, these two charities are providing invaluable support to the ocean and her creatures.
“By fundraising for IWDG and HWDT my aim is to promote their work, encourage membership and get folk interested in respecting, caring and protecting our native marine life.
“Biodiversity is at the heart of a strong and stable environment and the more we can do daily to educate ourselves on the ocean’s needs, inevitably the more connected we can become to nature, its health and its inhabitants.”
To make a donation to Holly’s Just Giving fundraising page log on to: https://edge.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/mermaidmonsonncswim
