As a 16-year-old Gráinne Moss née Gunn (55, Ireland, MSF bio here) was selected to represent Ireland at the inaugural World Cup Long Distance Swimming Championships in 1986. It was the first 25 km international competition held under the auspices of FINA.

A year later in 1987, she swam the English Channel in 11 hours 52 minutes at the age of 17. She was the first Irish woman to complete a crossing of the Channel.

During her prolific career, she took some long breaks, but her star shone bright enough to complete the Irish Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming and eventually be inducted in the Hall of Fame – Marathon Swimming Ireland as an Honour Swimmer. Now, she is a few weeks away from making her final assault of the Oceans Seven with a window between July 3rd and 7th – a 19.5 km attempt of the Tsugaru Channel in northern Japan.

If she is successful crossing the Tsugaru Channel, she will taken 37 years and 11 months (or approximately 13,850 days) between the date of her first channel crossing and her seventh channel crossing of the Oceans Seven. This record span would break the current record held by Marcia Cleveland (61, USA, MSF bio here, IISA bio here, @marciac944) of 11,253 days between the date of her first and seventh channel crossing.

The Oceans Seven Journey of Gráinne Moss

• August 1987: 33.5 km English Channel from England to France in 11 hours 52 minutes at the age of 17
• March 2001: 23 km Cook Strait from North Island to South Island in New Zealand in 12 hours 25 minutes at the age of 31
• July 2022: 35 km North Channel from Northern Ireland to Scotland in 13 hours 33 minutes at the age of 52
• May 2023: 45 km Molokai Channel from Molokai Island to Oahu in Hawaii in 15 hours 7 minutes at the age of 53
• July 2023: 32.3 km crossing of the Catalina Channel from Catalina Island to Palos Verdes Peninsula in 11 hours 22 minutes
• May 2024: 14.4 km Strait of Gibraltar from Spain to Morocco in 4 hours 23 minutes at the age of 54
• July 2025: 19.5 km attempt of the Tsugaru Channel from Aomori to Hokkaido in northern Japan at the age of 55

She tells her story below, a fascinating lesson in passion, diligence, determination, humility, and gratitude.

Daily News of Open Water Swimming: What prompted you to do your first English Channel crossing?

Gráinne Moss: I was a successful young pool swimmer winning Irish Schools Champs in backstroke, freestyle and butterfly – never been a fast breastroker. I started my open water swimming aged ten in Pickie Pool, an unheated outdoor saltwater pool fed by the sea in Bangor, Ireland. I loved the fun swims which grew in length as I did. At 16, I represented Ireland at the inaugural World Open Water Swimming Championships completing the 25 km swim.

At that swim, I met swimmers from 34 other countries, amazing inspiring and all older swimmers – I was the youngest competitor and they told me if you can do this swim, you can swim the English Channel, so I started planning. So my first Channel crossing was driven by a combination of a deep love for swimming, both in the pool and in the open water, being inspired by some of the greats such as Alison Streeter and then and having the support of my family especially mum and dad.

In 1987, I became the first Irish woman to swim the English Channel, and I swam at a high level for years, winning the 17 km Ladies Irish Open Water Swimming Championship seven times between 1991 and 2001. In 1998, I emigrated to New Zealand and completed some New Zealand swims including the Cook Strait in 2001* and was named New Zealand Master Swimmer of the Year in 2001.

Then I spent most of a decade either pregnant or breastfeeding and didn’t do much swimming – but have four gorgeous kids. Whilst in the last two years, I have quite consistently swum three times a week, I was far away from the speed and stamina of my prime.

Daily News of Open Water Swimming: You had 4 major periods in your career where you focused on marathon swimming.  In 1987, when you did your first English Channel crossing.  Prior to and after that, you competed in Windermere.  Then you did the Cook Strait in 2001 and then took off a lot of time until you were quite active in 2022 – 2023.  At what point did you tell yourself that you want to complete the Oceans Seven?

Gráinne Moss: The idea of completing the Oceans Seven became a concrete goal after successfully completing the North Channel in 2022. The North Channel for me had been the “swim that had got away” so this was my key focus. More on that one later. Once I succeeded in this swim, I started to think seriously about the Oceans Seven.

And yes you are right there are a range of “periods”; however, I would classify it has two periods. Pre 1986 – 2001 and then 2021 – today.

From 1986 to 2001, I was completing many open water swims – in the UK and Ireland including Windermere, Ullswater (25 km in 1996), and the 17 km Irish Open Water Swimming Championship. I won the 17 km Ladies Championship seven times in 1991, 1992, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, and 2001, and finished third in the 25th Anniversary swim in 2016.

In 1998, I emigrated to New Zealand and completed some New Zealand swims including the Cook Strait in 2001 and was named New Zealand Master Swimmer of the Year. In 2001, I swam Seven Lakes in Seven Days: New Zealand in 2000, raising awareness and funds for water safety. Two of the swims were marathon distances: 11.5 km in Lake Tarawera and 10 km in Lake Rotorua.

Then in 2001 I did have a long break focusing on my growing family and career. I did keep swimming, but just pool and short open water swims around New Zealand. The emotional pull of another big swim began to stir in 2020 and the 40.2 km Lake Taupō was calling in April 2021. I completed that and more followed.

Daily News of Open Water Swimming: Which one of these channel crossings or marathon swims have been the most memorable? The most difficult? Have you experienced any DNFs (Did Not Finish) along the way? How did you handle those non-finishes?

Gráinne Moss: This is such a tough question. The English Channel holds a special place in my heart because it was my first Channel swim and because I was the first Irish woman to swim the English Channel.

However, it’s the North Channel that stands out for me as the most significant swim for me personally – it was a swim that was 35 years in the making. When I touched to rocky shores of Scotland on 22nd July 2022, you could say that the journey from Irish soil through freezing cold water (average 12.8°C) and stinging jellyfish had taken 13 hours 33 minutes, and 36 seconds. This would not be correct.

There were three key events that started this journey. The first was my dad teaching me to swim at a young age; the second is when I was seven and a swimming coach, Pat Simpson, approached my dad saying ‘your daughter has the best natural technique I have seen, can I coach her?’, and the third is doing an open water sea swim in Bangor at age 12 accompanied in a rowboat by a terrified teenager who kept asking me when I was getting out.

My dad and Pat taught me the technique of swimming well, how to train, to be disciplined, as well as a love of the sport.  They also taught me to be open to all forms of swimming and swimmers: Pat coached several Special Olympians, we played water polo, and swam in the sea to make sure I didn’t burn out as many young competitive swimmers do.

That terrified teenager in the rowboat? His worry for me meant I didn’t finish the swim. I knew I could make it, but I wasn’t sure he would. On exiting the water that day, I was placed on the lead safety boat with a man called Brian Meharg. This would lead to a long and special friendship revolving around boats and swims in the North Channel.

I grew up looking out at the North Channel every day. I trained in it for the 1986 World Championships and my successful English Channel swim in 1987. In 1988, I was the support swimmer for the first female to cross the channel, Alison Streeter. As I swam beside her in the dark, getting stung by jellyfish, I thought ‘I will do this one day.’ In 1990, I was the first and final swimmer in the Ireland One relay team – the first team to swim across the North Channel.

It was not until 1996 that I made my first solo attempt. I still have the observer report of this swim, and the report reflects well the challenges I faced – the jellyfish and lots of them. They led to vomiting during the swim only three hours into the attempt.  Seven hours later, Brian Meharg, the pilot, and the team on the boat agreed it was time to take me out of the water as I was not swimming faster than the turning tide. I had thought I would be devastated but I wasn’t. I was elated. I had faced my fears of failure, tried, and swum more than almost anyone would have managed given what I faced.

This event significantly shaped my life. It freed me to try risky challenging things because ‘failure’ is in the eye of the beholder and as Churchill said, ‘Failure is not fatal, it is the courage to continue that counts.’

I came back to the North Channel in 1997 and was pulled out 1 km from the finish with hypothermia. This time I was not elated: I was devastated. I cried for days and found it very difficult to talk about the second attempt. I now realize that whilst it was tough and cold, there were a few small errors I made in my preparation. I was disappointed in myself. Brian the pilot said, ‘Gráinne go off and have some wanes (babies) and come back after a long hot summer and try again.’

Well, I did go off and have some ‘wanes’ – four of them. I have given talks on my many swims, but this was always ‘the one that got away.’ It was only after I swam Foveaux Strait in March 2022 that I called Brian and asked him if he fancied a ‘wee nip’ across the channel. Even though I had waited 25 years to come back, and Brian had ‘retired’ from piloting, he said yes immediately, and preparation started in earnest.

This has been a swim at least 35 years in the making. When I finished Brian and my mum looked at each other, hugged each other, and burst into tears. Brian said, ‘We were so delighted, after 35 years of trying, we had done it. Me and her mum had a five-second cry and it was back to it; we were just so busy.’ They were busy getting ready for me to get back in the boat and caring for me as I recovered.

For me, it is hard to really fathom that the swim has now been completed. Becoming the first Irish woman to swim the English Channel changed my life. The North Channel, the failures, the adversities, the friends, the connections, the discipline, the preparation, the support, the journey to it and through it have defined a large part my life.

Daily News of Open Water Swimming: Have you trained for each of these swims the same way or differently?

Gráinne Moss: Training for each swim involved a mix of pool time, open water practice, and dryland training, but the specifics varied depending on the conditions of each swim. For colder swims, I focused more on acclimatization to cold water, while other swims such as Manhattan Island and Molokai Channel, I spent more time in the pool.

Daily News of Open Water Swimming: What has changed physiologically and psychologically between your English Channel and Catalina Channel crossings?

Gráinne Moss: Physiologically, there have been changes in endurance, strength, speed and recovery times. Many of these were better when I was younger – I swam faster and recovered more quickly and could load heavier training.

However whilst physically I am not the same as I was at 17 psychologically, I have gained more experience and mental resilience.

Over the years, I have developed a deeper understanding of my limits and strategies to overcome challenges, making me in some way more prepared or better prepared for each swim.

Daily News of Open Water Swimming: Who have been your escort pilots in each of the Oceans Seven channels?

Gráinne Moss: Phil Rush in the Cook Strait. Brian Meharg in the North Channel. Dave Whyte across the English Channel. Mike Twigg-Smith across the Molokai Channel. David Harvey across the Catalina Channel an Laura Gutiérrez Díaz in the Strait of Gibraltar.

I do want to do a special shout out to both Brian and Philip who have been amazing supporters and are now friends. Brian I have known since I was 12 (so over 40 years), Phil since I swam Cook Strait in 2001. They have been there in the good times and the bad, both have such a depth of knowledge and passion and care for the swimmers.

Brian and I in Bangor Harbour with his boat with Bangor Boat behind us [shown below].

Daily News of Open Water Swimming: Who have been on your support teams? Family members, friends, coaches?

Gráinne Moss: My support teams have included a mix of family and friends. Mum and dad have always been involved. My dad isn’t a great sailor so prefers the land logistics. My mum has been on my swims over the years including the most recent in the Strait of Gibraltar. She was 80 on that swim.

Photo below shows the team on the 1996 North Channel swim. From left to right is David Adams of the Irish Long Distance Swimming Association, Joe Gunn (dad), Billy Wallace of the ILDSA, me, and Philippa Gunn (mum).

Photo below shows 80-year-old Mum and me in the Strait of Gibraltar in 2024:

Gráinne Moss: My family has been amazing. The journeys through adversity, cold, swells, rocking boats, and yes, retching after swims have created unbreakable bonds. I had all four of my children and husband on the Catalina Channel crossing – that was very special. My husband, children, mother, and father into whose lives I have delivered high levels of stress turn up again and again to feed, dress, drive, and support my passion, as do aunts, uncles, and cousins.

The many friends I have made on this journey are special, unique, and a gift. Since 2021, barely a stroke of the kilometers I have completed in training have been on my own … either in the pool or in the sea. The Wellington swimming community – the infamous Spuds Buds and Washing Machines – ensured I swam every stroke accompanied.

Those that I swam with as a teenager in Ireland came to support me years later on the North Channel. To be so supported, so cared for, is a platform for success, and when things got tough, I dug deep and thought of all who had gone above and beyond to help me.

The Spud Buds and Washing Machines in Wellington are shown below.

Daily News of Open Water Swimming: Do you have a go-to feeding plan during your crossings? What works best for you?

Gráinne Moss: Yes, I have a go-to feeding plan that works exceptionally well for me. Over the years I have moved more towards liquid and less solid food. I feed at the first hour and then very 30 minutes. For the colder swims, it is homemade leek and potato soup (and yes it is the same recipe I have been using for 40 years and a New Zealand sports drink called Pure. I hate gels on their own so I mix them into every third drink and each feed take 250 ml.

Daily News of Open Water Swimming: When you complete the Oceans Seven, what do you expect your emotions will be?

Gráinne Moss: Completing the Oceans Seven will likely bring a mix of elation, relief, and a profound sense of accomplishment. It will be a testament to years of dedication and hard work, and I expect to feel incredibly proud of this achievement and be very privileged to be part of such an amazing group of swimmers.

Daily News of Open Water Swimming: What lessons have you learned along the way, either about yourself, about swimming, or life in general?

Gráinne Moss: There are many lessons I have transposed from ocean swimming into her working life. To be an open-water swimmer, you need discipline, you need focus, you need a plan, you need resilience. You need to turn up every day and to do the hard work. You also need a support team and you need to think about how you’re going to do something. You just don’t randomly turn up on the side of the English Channel and think, ‘Oh, I’ll dive in here and swim to France’.

When I did the English Channel, it was a really bad day and the pilot asked me, ‘Are you prepared to go on a day that’s not perfect?’ I said yes. What I didn’t know at the time was that there were three swimmers in front of me on the list for the same tide who had said no, they were waiting for the perfect day. So I went from number four to number one. It wasn’t a perfect day, it was deeply uncomfortable for the first three hours, but we made it. What that taught me is you can’t wait for a perfect day, because there never is one. And if you’re waiting for the perfect day, somebody else may well pass you by. So just on that swim alone, I think it was a really valuable lesson in leadership and management.

* Observer Philip Rush said, “Gráinne has been the only swimmer to be pulled for less than 10 minutes due to a circling shark – and she got back in the water to complete her crossing. She showed incredible toughness [in returning to the water]“.

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