Solo Minch swim challenge

An open-water swimmer is hoping to set a record for crossing the Minch in aid of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).

Colleen Blair, 36, of Aberfeldy aims to become the first solo swimmer to cross the 27 miles or so distance from Lewis to the north-west mainland of Scotland.

Colleen, a well-known swimmer who was a Commonwealth Games baton holder, will be abiding by the rules of open water swimming which mean she will not be allowed to wear a wetsuit, she can not touch anything, and drinks and food will be thrown to her from a support boat.

She will swim between two and two-and-a-half miles an hour when she attempts the challenge later this Summer and Colleen, who suffers from asthma, will have an inhaler with her.

Colleen plans to set off from Aird or Tiumpan Head in Point, on the east coast of Lewis to swim to Stoerhead peninsula, north of Lochinver.

Alternatively, she may set off from the mainland side, she said.

Rough seas prevented the challenge taking place this week. Weather permitting, she will undertake the swim clocking 54 strokes a minute with her front crawl.

Her anticipated time is from 15 to 18 hours although Colleen says she could take up to 24 hours depending on the weather and sea conditions.

Colleen, the duty manager at Breadalbane Community Campus, Aberfeldy, trains in Loch Tay where the temperature is particularly cold at 12°C or under. She also trained in Spain in May, covering 24 hours over four days in the sea.

She said: “One of the difficulties that open-water swimmers face, apart from the tides, is the temperature

“Swimmers do the English Channel, which I have done, where the sea temperature can be as high as 18C compared with the Minch where the water temperature will be much colder, perhaps up to 14C when I do my swim.

“That is why The Minch is such a challenge to be done in just a swimming costume and cap. I became hooked on swimming at a young age and now I am at the stage where I look for different challenges.’

Colleen is raising money for the RNLI, a charity close to her heart, as the volunteers save lives at sea.

She added: “Our sport of open-water swimming is growing and there are more and more of us. However, I do not think people appreciate how dangerous it can be and therefore it is very important to us to know that the RNLI is out there, providing support on the water for anyone who gets in difficulty.’

Her achievements at sea include being the first person to swim the Pentland Firth from Hoy to the Scottish mainland; swimming the North Channel, 23 miles between Blackhead in Northern Ireland and Portpatrick in Scotland; swimming 44 miles around Manhattan Island, New York, and also swimming a similar distance around Jersey.

Colleen will rely upon hot chocolate drinks, chocolate bars, creamed rice and carbohydrate drinks to sustain her.

Colleen can be supported by going to her fundraising page www.virginmoneygiving.com/ColleenBlair

Swimmer aims to be first to cross the Minch solo 20/8/14