“The first few seconds of getting in the water is something like nothing else. It completely overstimulates all your senses,” said Melanie Barratt to the BBC. “You just feel so at peace with the world.”
From a very young age, I’ve seen people swimming in the sea and in lakes and I’ve thought it just looks the way swimming should be. Just to swim without limits really.“
Barrett, a 47-year-old Paralympic swimmer, was born with congenital toxoplasmosis that causes severe visual impairment. She can only see colors and shapes.
She explains, “I can’t see anything at all under the water. I can’t see obstacles that I need to avoid. And that is the reason why I thought I wouldn’t be able to do it for quite a long period of time.”
It was tackling the 33.5 km of the English Channel – a feat that she accomplished on August 28th in 12 hours 20 minutes with the help of Jukes, bone-conducting headphones.
“I wear bone-conducting headphones and [my husband] has a radio that transmits to me, so he can basically talk to me constantly the whole time.
Being visually impaired can be incredibly isolating and it’s very, very difficult to make and keep friends and since starting open water swimming I’ve found that it’s a lovely, lovely community and it’s, kind of, a bit of a leveler, really. Everybody is in the same situation and having to cope with the same things and it’s just a great way of meeting people.”
Now with her success and the celebration, she has opened the door for many other visually impaired swimmers to not only attempt the Channel, but also many other open water swims – short and long – around the world. By allowing the bone-conducting headphones to be used in a channel crossing, the Channel Swimming Association has dropped a significant barrier for those who cannot see.
Not only were bone-conducting headphones and radio transmitters not available to previous generations of swimmers in the previous century, but even with the technological advancements and manufactured solutions, these devices were not always allowed by race officials and governing bodies.
But Barratt has helped usher in a new era.
Ned Denison of the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame interviewed Barratt after her English Channel success:
James Pittar
James Pittar, a blind Australian, completed a crossing of the English Channel in 1998 as well as numerous other feats including the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming while listening to his coach blow whistles that enabled him to understand if he needed to swim to the left, right, or stop. His career marathon swims are posted at Marathon Swimmers Federation bio here.
Jukes
Jukes is the brand and model of bone-conducting headphones that Barrett uses. There are many other brands and models available, each with their own features and benefits.
© 2024 Daily News of Open Water Swimming
“to educate, enthuse, and entertain all those who venture beyond the shoreline“
A World Open Water Swimming Federation project.