Owen channels teen spirit to scoop record

THERE must be something in the water.

A teenager from Fermoy, Co Cork, has become the youngest Irish person to swim across the English Channel. He was the second Irish person in 24 hours to set a Channel swim record. Owen O’Keefe, who turned 16 in January, landed on a French beach just after midday after 10 hours and 19 minutes in the water. As well as becoming the youngest Irish person to complete the crossing, the St Colman’s secondary school student also set the third fastest time for an Irish swimmer.

“I am absolutely delighted but I think it will take a few days to sink in,” he said. “It was tough – the last two hours especially. I spent those two hours sprinting, because the tide was against me at that stage.” Owen was accompanied on the swim support boat by his uncle John Baker, coach Jackie Power, Dave Mulcahy and open water swimming specialist and Cork Masters swimmer, Ned Dennison, who completed the Channel swim in 2005.

Mr Dennison praised Owen and said the club has a critical mass of talent and expertise. “I think when you demystify the challenge, people can say I now know five or six people who have completed it, and they are normal, average people.”

Parents George and Breda, sister Amy, 14, and brother George, 10, are expecting Owen home later today.

Sylvain Eftadieu, a French national living in Cork, also completed the Channel swim yesterday.