A WATERFORD firefighter swam from Carrick-on-Suir in Co Tipperary to Waterford city over the weekend to publicise a fundraiser where he will swim the English Channel on his 40th birthday for a cancer charity in the city.
Alan Smith (39), from Ashley Court, hopes to achieve a lifetime ambition by completing the 21-mile swim across the channel on September 26th next.
The father-of-two will become one of only two people from Waterford to attempt the swim, starting at Dover in England and finishing in Cag De Girz, France.
A lifelong member of Waterford Crystal Swimming Club, Alan will be in the water for over 14 hours and will actually swim 30 miles as he navigates the strong currents and tidal stream of the English Channel.
A naval diver for nine years who currently works as a firefighter in the city, he wants to raise much-needed capital for the building of the South Eastern Cancer Foundation (SECF) Solas Centre at Williamstown in Waterford.
He said the channel swim is weather-dependent, and that a window of opportunity has been opened from September 26th to October 4th. The October date marks the fifth anniversary of the death of his father Des (69), a founding member of the swimming club, who died of cancer.
Alan, also a triathlete, said: “There’s not a family in the town that hasn’t been touched by cancer. It’s not a nice time – it’s great to know that they [the SECF] are there.”
Up to €250,000 is needed to finish the Solas Centre project – to fit out the building and open the expanded service. Construction on the centre started in May, and the centre is expected to open in spring of next year.
Waterford City Council has provided the site, close to Waterford Regional Hospital, and over €1.25 million has been raised to date. Alan hopes to raise €5,000 as part of the fundraising drive, which is entirely funded through donations.
Such contributions can be made to “Alan Smith’s English Channel Swim” on www.mycharity.ie.
