Ronan and 4 other brave celebrities completed a once in a lifetime challenge, arriving in Dublin, Ireland on 1st September 2011 at 08:15 AM, after a 35 hour 18 minute, 56 mile swimming relay across the Irish Sea to raise £1 million for Cancer Research UK.
Ronan, gadget guru Jason Bradbury, ‘fearless’ TV presenter Jenny Frost, former British butterfly swimmer and Olympic medallist Steve Parry, and plucky Pamela Stephenson, made up the team of ten, including two members of the public, who swam across the Irish Sea in Cancer Research UK’s first celebrity led challenge The Samsung Galaxy S II Swim.
Two members of the public swam with the celebrity team across the Irish Sea. The two lucky swimmers were picked from a host of people who signed themselves up for swimming trials in Brighton in August. Olly White (33 year old teacher from Devon) and Nikki Fraser (18 year old student from Yorkshire), are both keen open water swimmers and were invaluable members of The Swim team.
After touching down at the north pier in Wicklow Bay the team jumped back on the boat and made their way to the ‘Forty Foot’, a well known open water swimming spot in Dunleary, where the entire team got back in the water and swam to land for a second time that morning, to greet their friends and family who were waiting anxiously for them on the shore.
Captain of The Samsung Galaxy S II Swim, Ronan said:
I have nothing but love and admiration for everyone involved in The Samsung Galaxy S II Swim. When I dipped my toe into the water in Holyhead on Tuesday, part of me believed we would never reach our goal, but with determination and the incredible ability of the whole team, we succeeded. Thank you to everyone who donated to help us reach our £1m target for Cancer Research UK.
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- Ronan in Holyhead before the start
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- The final few strokes
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- Cellebrations and refief
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- The cold black water of the Iris Sea
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- Ronan is briefed before entering the water
