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Unfortunately I have not met Ned but I have corresponded with him on a few occasions and I had just missed meeting up with him in Dover last year.
1: Name: Ned Denison
2: Age: 52 (2009)
3: Resides: Cork, Ireland
4:Swimming Highlights: English Channel 2005, Santa Barbara Channel 2006, Manhattan 2007, Zurich 2008, first ever swims around the Great Island (Cobh) and Valentia – 16 miles each. While I didn’t do too much swimming as a goalkeeper - 7 time All-American Water Polo Player
5:Biggest influence and coach: I need to list three.
Pete Cutino – former Water Polo Coach University of California – Berkeley. Pete taught me lessons in life that I use every day.
Eilis Burns – Coached 10 of the 11 local English Channel solo swimmers. Eilis motivates me every time!
Dr. Sheldon Rothman – Water Polo Coach – Queens Club New York. Shelly gave me the confidence to go play in the big time in California.
6: Swimming Idol - Kevin Murphy – THE KING OF THE ENGLISH CHANNEL and MEMBER OF THE INTERNATIONAL SWIMMING HALL OF FAME.
7: Pool or Ocean - Ocean Always!
8:How many kms a week - 18k on average over the last five years. My average is yearly meters divided by 353. So every day I take off lowers the average. My observations is that a lot of swimmers talk about the meters they did during their best training week of the year!
9:Longest swim and how many hours in the water - Manhattan – 28.5 miles but longest in the water was the English Channel at 12 hours and 47 minutes.
10:Favorite place you have swam - The Union Hall to Glandore swim in West Cork Ireland – a 1,100 m sprint followed by a night in the pub and a few hours in the B&B across the street!
11:Coldest place you have swam and temp - Under the Grand Isle Vermont (USA) Bridge just after Christmas with my two brothers: 20 meters of free water with 1 meter thick ice on both sides. Air temperature (-10C), wind chill (-30C) and water temperature – I haven’t a clue but maybe 1 C.
12:Roughest swim - 16 miles around Valentia Island – at halfway rounding Bray Head (one of the Western most points of Ireland – next stop New York), the temperature dropped to 12.2 C, as the cold North wind and rain hit – to be met by 1.5 meters waves coming simultaneously from three directions.
13:Swimming goals – Compete a 16 mile marathon swim every year until the end
14:What or who motivates you - The motivation comes from inside – I love (need?) a goal every day.
15:How much is Physical/Mental - 10% is physical and 90% mental
16:Favorite saying: You choose your attitude
17:Biggest fear swimming – Sharks (I see them on 50% of my ocean swims. Just because they are not there – doesn’t mean that I don’t see them!)
18:Swimming close calls - Hospital stay after finishing the Santa Barbara Channel swim – body temperature below 30C. My support swimmer for the last mile was David Yudovin who “died” 25 years earlier in the same place! Read the forward of Lynne Cox’s book – swimming to Antarctica and you will understand.
19:Tips for other swimmers - Do the physical and mental preparation you need (without getting hurt) over time to give yourself a fighting chance of making your big swim goal.
20:What would you eat and drink during a swim - Hi5 (400 ml every 30 minutes in 16C water - more for warmer), the odd bit of banana and a bit of sweet every now and then.
21:Worst place you have swam - 2008: The 7 mile swim from Rathlin Island – off the coast of Northern Ireland. 19 started the race and 5 finished it: 5 EC soloist didn’t make it and one swimmer went to the hospital with lion’s mane jelly stings. I am looking forward to the 2010 race!
22:Worst injuries - Broken fingers. toes and nose (from a fist) playing water polo and the odd hurt elbow, shoulder and neck from distance swimming.
23:Favorite food,drink,music ,movie and holiday destination
Food: My wife’s turkey pie in pastry
Drink: Chocolate milkshake
Music: Santa Esmeralda
Movie: Cool Hand Luke
Holiday destination: Skiing with the family in Austria
24:What do you think of when you are in the water for hours -
I count my right arm strokes and try to predict the number of strokes to the next feed or next visual milestone. After a few hours I question why I am doing the swim and promise myself never again – just make this last one! Towards the end of the swim I tell myself just 100 more strokes – often for hours.
25:Where is one place you haven’t or would like to swim- Falkland Islands
26:Three people you would invite to dinner :
I guess ideally my Grandfather, Father and Brother – who are no longer with us.
Otherwise: Al Oeter (4 times Olympic gold medalist – discus), Bill Russell (11 time champions center for the Boston Celtics, Olympic gold medal and 2 NCAA championships) and Sir Steve Redgrave (5 times Olympic gold medalist rowing) I just listen as these guys talked about excellence over time!
27:Cold water tips- Train 12 months a year in colder water that your big swim will feel like a splash in the bath.
28:Toughest competitor - Rory Fitzgerald in the ’Vibes & Scribes’ Lee Swim( you got me 2 to 1 buddy – but it ain’t over) and Nick Mulcahy and Eilis Burns in their wetsuit in the Sandycove Challenge!
29:How much is weight a factor on long distance swims - It depends on the many factors: the temperature of the air and water, wind direction and speed, swim duration, stroke rate, recent illness and mental toughness. In 23 C Zurich – weight hurts you, in a 7 C spin around Sandycove Island (1,800 m) a bit of weight helps.
30:Pet hate - .Swimmers who give any kind of grief to the non-swimmers who make the swims possible – no make that stronger: swimmers who don’t thank every pilot, observer, volunteer they see – twice!
31:Biggest thrill – Helping to make Sandycove Island one of the top English Channel training locations in the world – 11 out of 11 of our soloers have completed the channel and one was a double. We have a huge group signed up for 2010!
32:Favorite sport besides swimming - Water Polo
33:Who would you like to sit next to on a plane - Besides my wife Anne – Joe Oakes (the man who helped create the Alcatraz swims)
34:Car you drive - Landrover
35:Next swimming challenge - Round Jersey (August 2010)
36:Occupation - Sales
37:D.O.B. - 21 November 1957
38:Favorite Pet - Dogs Roxy and Nash
39:Reasons for attempting the Channel – Sad middle aged man trying to be young
Alby
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