Grainne Gunn

From Openwaterpedia
Grainne Gunn was inducted in the Hall of Fame – Marathon Swimming Ireland as an Honour Swimmer in its Class of 2019
Gráinne Moss receiving her Irish Triple Crown 2022
Gráinne Moss, with Billy Wallace and her parents Joe and Philippa Gunn on her 1996 attempt of the North Channel
Gráinne Moss in 2022 with one of the many lion's mane jellyfish she encountered in the North Channel
Grainne Moss training in Lake Brunner - NZ

Gráinne Moss (née Gunn) is an Irish open water swimmer and mother of four living in Wellington, New Zealand.

Open Water Swimming Highlights

  • She made the 21 km Fastnet crossing in 6 hours 4 minutes 24 seconds, from Fastnet Rock to Baltimore Pier in Ireland on 4 August 2022 setting a new women's record. She as the third person to receive the Irish Triple Crown.
  • On 22 July 2022, she crossed the 35 km North Channel from Northern Ireland to Scotland in 13 hours 33 minutes 36 seconds, piloted by Brian Meharg of Bangor Boat with an average water temperature of 12.8°C. This was her third attempt. Her previous attempts were in 1996 and 1997. She has also accompanied a number of other swimmers across the North Channel and was the support swim for Alison Streeter, MBE when she became the first woman to swim the North Channel.
  • In March 2022 she completed the 28 km Foveaux Strait in 12 hours 27 minutes to raise funds for Kenzie’s Gift, a charity which supports the mental health of children and young people affected by serious illness or grief within the family. This was the final swim to gain the New Zealand Triple Crown. Foveaux Strait is one of the Toughest 13. Grainne was the 14th person to complete this swim and the 9th person to receive the New Zealand Triple Crown (Cook Strait in 2001, Lake Taupo in 2021, and Foveaux Strait in 2022.
  • She completed the Double Triple Crown in 2022.
  • She completed two of the Toughest 13: Foveaux Strait in New Zealand and Fastnet in Ireland.
  • She completed the New Zealand Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming.
  • She completed the Irish Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming: Galway Bay in 1986, North Channel in July 2022, and Fastnet in August 2022.
  • She attempted two 35 km crossings of the North Channel between Northern Ireland and Scotland in 1996 and 1997.
  • On 5 August 2022, she completed Fastnet swim, setting a new women’s record.
  • She was the first Irish woman to swim the English Channel in 1987 at the age of 17.
  • She completed a 40.2 km crossing of Lake Taupō on 1 April 2021 in 14 hours 49 minutes.
  • In 1995 Gráinne was a member of Gilberts Girls Relay Team (England to France) with Alison Streeter and Loretta Cox . They won the CSA Fastest Female Relay award.
  • In 1990 she was a member of the first Relay team named Ireland One to swim the North Channel
  • She was inducted as an Honour Swimmer in the Hall of Fame – Marathon Swimming Ireland in its Class of 2019.
  • She swam 33.5 km across the English Channel on 3 August 1987 in 11 hours 52 minutes at the age of 17. She was the first Irish woman to swim the English Channel.
  • She was selected to represent Ireland at the inaugural World Cup Long Distance Swimming Championships in 1986 at the age of 16. This was a pivotal event in the history of marathon swimming as the first 25 km held under the auspices of FINA. Gráinne finished 9th behind leading swimmers including Bridget Young, an International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame [Honoree]].
  • She was the first swimmer from Ireland to complete a crossing of the 23 km Cook Strait in New Zealand in 12 hours 25 minutes on 6 March 2001 at the age of 31. Observer Philip Rush said that Gráinne was the only swimmer to be pulled for less than 10 minutes due to a circling shark - and get back in to complete. This is a rule of the association and Philip said it showed incredible toughness.
  • She won the 17 km Ladies Irish Open Water Swimming Championship seven times (1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998 and 2001). She also finished 3rd in the 25th Anniversary swim in 2016. She and her brother Conor Gunn were the only swimmers to swim in the 1st (1991) and return for the anniversary swim 25 years later. Gráinne’s canoeist also supported her in 1991 and 2016.
  • She swam across Galway Bay twice, the first time in 1986 in 3 hours and 10 minutes.
  • She completed a 10.5-mile crossing of Windermere in England.
  • She completed a 25 km crossing at the English Open Water Champions Ullswater in 1996.
  • In 2000, she swam seven lakes in New Zealand in 7 days raising awareness and funds for water safety and continues to mentor other marathon swimmers. Swims in two of the lakes were of marathon distance: 11.5 km in Lake Tarawera 11.5 km and 10 km in Lake Rotorua.

External links

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