Meet our Guides
Meet the fantastic team of guides who bring your SwimTrek experience to life.
John Mccall
Swim history before SwimTrek
I competed at a national level until I was 20 years old with my best results being 2nd in 200m butterfly and 3rd in 100m butterfly in the Irish Open (2007) with times of 59 secs and 2.05 respectively. After competitive swimming I played waterpolo, competed in surflifesaving, open water swimming and surfed. I still swim for fitness in the pool (to help my surfing) as I surf all year round and when I can in the summer months I do open water swims in the sea (I bought my first swimming wetsuit last year which is a dream come true!).
Most memorable swim moment
Its hard to pick, I have been lucky to have surfed with dusty (the friendly dolphin in Co. Clare) and playful seals but one summer when I was beach lifeguarding in Co. Kerry, Ireland, as I was taking down the flags at the end of the day a pod of pilot whales swam into the bay. I put on my wetsuit and grabbed my googles and swam out towards them. Unfortunately the Bull whale in the pod was sick and had come into the shallows to beach himself, but I approached the pod and gave them plenty of space as I swam up back and forth across the bay with them. I was at a distance where I could only see their fins on the top of the water but as time passed they came closer and I could see the full body of the whales below the water. The cubs stayed close to their mothers but swam playfully breaking the surface of the water from time to time letting off the distinct release of air from their blowholes. I felt blessed that they allowed me to observe them in such a manner.
Top swimming tip
Efficiency! Be like the whales or dolphins when you swim, be streamline. Power doesn't equal speed. Slow is smooth and smooth is fast. Eradicating unnecessary movements or movements that go against the flow of water will increase efficiency, reduce energy consumption and ultimately allow you to swim faster for longer.
Interesting fact about you
Pioneered river surfing in Limerick city, Ireland. We have a hydro dam upriver from the city and they release water at certain times and at a certain tides there is a standing wave!!
Steve Whitmore
Swim history before SwimTrek
At the age of 10 I completed my life saving badges bronze/silver/gold half drowning my brother in the process and joined my local swim club wellington in Shropshire. I soon became one of the best butterfly’s in the county and midlands due to no one else being daft enough to swim the event. After joining the Army I was able to use my Swim experience to get out of most field manoeuvres much to the annoyance of my fellow soldiers and represent the Royal Engineers in freestyle, water polo, progressing to representing the British Army in triathlons, winning the first British Army of the Rhine triathlon in Osnabruck in what was then known as West Germany. Fortunately only 15 people turned up.
This spurred me on to race in more Triathlons which I loved as at that time they were new and exciting representing GB along the way to marathons, coast to coast endurance events via a spell in the Circus as a trapeze artist. I was lucky to be in the right place at the right time and really enjoyed the versatility of training/competing in different environments, with different people. Trying out lots of new sports at a fairly high level to performing Trapeze in front of 4,000 people at Glastonbury’s circus big top opening night. But despite all these great highs and lows I was always drawn back to swimming and particularly swimming in the sea.
At 56 I decided now was the time to achieve one of my own goals swimming the English Channel as part of a 5 person relay team, in 14hours. This has since led me to coach and manage 6 successful England to France and Jersey to France relay teams for Brockwell swimmers. It’s been quite an adventure.
Most memorable swim moment
Swimming in the surf off Towan beach Newquay, on a cold winter day with the sun barely visible, enjoying the sea rolling around me!
Top swimming tip
Thoroughly warm up, increase body temperature before entering cold water.
Interesting fact
I was a trapeze artist in the circus.