Cork woman completes notoriously difficult Spanish open water swim

Cork swim coach Eilis Burns was the only Irish finisher at the famously challenging Neda el Món in Spain.

Mon, 05 Oct, 2015 - 01:00

Eileesh Buckley

A group of 17 swimmers from Ireland entered the swim challenge near Barcelona to swim between the Illes Formuge and Illes Medes.

The 22,3 km of the 3rd #NeMFormiguesMedes have been tough. Only 5 out of 40 have been able to finish de swim.
— Neda el Món - Swim the World (@NedaelMon) October 4, 2015

Despite the swim challenge having only 24 previous finishers the Irish group went to Spain full of confidence and expecting the majority to complete the course.

About 40 swimmers entered the challenge this year but only five completed the course.

The swim was originally scheduled for Saturday, but weather forced a re-schedule to Sunday and the course to be reversed. Instead of starting from Illes Formuges, the swimmers started at Illes Medes and finished at Illes Formuges.

Despite Eilis Burns credentials as a coach for long-distance swimmers she had not participated in such a distance swim since she was a teenager.

She was the sole Irish finisher at the Spanish swim, and one of the few Irish swimmers to choose to wear a wetsuit.

Carol Cashell of the Sandycove Island Swim Club was among the field and provided updates via twitter after she left the water.

I'm out. Not my day. Got to 12k in 4hr 45. Shoulders paining too much to battle another 3hrs. Rough day out there. Falling like flies..
— Carol Cashell (@ccashell) October 4, 2015