Swimming Club celebrates turning 50

Credit: Paul Lakeman Drone Photography

The Jersey Long Distance Swimming Club has marked its golden anniversary with an aerial photoshoot on the golden sands and sparkling seas of of Ouaisne Bay.

A drone was used to capture the club's swimmers hand in hand on the water, and making a huge 5-0 on the beach.

The club wanted an image to celebrate the island's vibrant and growing sea swimming community.

Included in the shot are four of the club's presidents - Jenny Fitzgerald, who currently holds the position,  Denise Richards (2017 - 2023), Sally Minty-Gravett (1988 - 2015) and Marion Harvey (1983- 1988).

The club says all four women have been pivotal in its success, and  - along with committee members past and present - have volunteered their time to foster and encourage a love of sea swimming in hundreds of islanders.

That has included helping many achieve their aims of completing personal challenges such as swimming the English Channel, Jersey to France, and the 36 mile round Jersey swim.

This year alone, the epic coastal route has been completed by  a 4-person relay team P.E.G.S. who completed in 10 hours 51mins, Team Royal Air Force who finished in 9 hours 21 mins setting a new speed record for a four-person relay, Finnish swimmer Telle Maukonen in 11 hours 48 mins and Jonty Warneken a UK para-athlete amputee who finished in 11h hours 33 mins.

Read: Six Jersey swimmers complete round-island challenge

JLDSC keeps a Roll of Honour on its website, documenting successful attempts and swim times.

The club advises on routes, weather windows, tides and support crews to give hopefuls the best chance of finishing.

Looking ahead to the the next half-century, Club President Jenny Fitzgerald hopes more people will take the plunge and join them. 

"We have a wide range of age groups - our youngest swimmers are 7 or 8 years old, right up to our oldest who are in their eighties.

"Everybody comes to have fun in the water and swim safely, and we can encourage them if they want to swim a bit further!"

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