Irish woman who swam to Antarctica will share cold water swimming tips at public talk this month

A Guinness World Record-holding Irish woman who once swam from Chile to Antarctica will share her tips for staying safe in cold water at a public talk this month. 

Nuala Moore - one of the world's most experienced extreme swimmers - will deliver the talk at South East Technological University's (SETU) Cork Road campus in Co Waterford on Thursday February 22. 

Titled 'Extreme Swimming - Swim Safely in Open Water', the event is free to attend and attendees can expect an engaging and inspirational conversation on Nuala's life and what's she's learned about the deep blue sea. 

Hailing from Kerry, Nuala Moore is a household name throughout the extreme sea swimming community. From summer days on her father’s fishing boat off the Dingle coast, to braving towering Atlantic winter waves, the self-coached swimmer constantly pushes boundaries while remaining steadfast in her respect for what she calls the "the belly of the beast". 

Nuala holds two Guinness World Records; one for her part in an international relay team that swam from Russia to the USA across the Bering Strait, during which she endured freezing swells, and the second for her pioneering cold-water swim through the deadly Drake Passage, a body of water between Cape Horn, Chile, and Antarctica’s South Shetland Islands. 

The Kerry woman was also the first Irish swimmer to complete 1,000 metres in zero-degree Celsius water, the third woman in the world to achieve such a feat back in 2013. 

With sea swimming growing more popular in Ireland, Nuala is using her wealth of experience to educate people on safe swimming. 

She said, "I will bring the audience through a journey around the world of ice and extreme open water. I’ll explain why there is no one-size-fits-all risk as understanding limits is key in creating a stronger swimming skillset. 

"When swimmers tell me that they have fears in open water or cold, what I hear is that they are afraid of their ability to help themselves in the event of an incident. We all need to be able to identify risk and what failure looks like, that is the beauty of sharing." 

Having a plan, swimming within your limits, and recognising the challenges of cold water are just some basic tips from Nuala.

According to the director and founding member of The Lifesaving Foundation, John Connolly, who helped organised the talk, events like this are "important in educating people to treat the sea with respect". 

He said, "Swimmers, even strong swimmers, can sometimes experience life-threatening conditions without realising it. Even if swimming with a friend, you need to learn the signs of what we call ‘hidden distress’ and have the courage to act on it when that friend does not want to stop. 

"Nuala has pushed the boundaries of extreme swimming in freezing conditions and knows the signs to watch." 

The talk takes place on February 22 at The Auditorium on the Cork Road Campus from 7pm.