As a family, we have very fond memories of the months before and after Jim’s swim. Once he was committed to it, the gruelling training regime started and on a typical day, he swam anything from 3000 metres upwards before 8am. As training intensified, he was back to the pool again in the evening or out to the lake for more punishment.

Looking back, I am not sure now how he did it all, because after his morning sessions, he was home to roll in with busy family life of school, work and, in the evenings and at weekends, to be on the sideline for every sports training session and match the kids were involved in.

Later into his training he took to the lake and then myself and the kids could help out a bit more. Hannah did some kayaking, I continued helping in the kitchen with food and diet, and the boys helped him with the gear and prep work from home. Our eldest Niamh was on a J1 in New York when we received a call from her to say that she was in a coffee shop and had seen a photo of her dad in Outlook magazine, taken during the Cork Distance Swim Week. He was famous!

Jim loved that distance week spent in Inchydoney, Cork where swimmers from all over the world come to train for open water distance swims such as the Irish Channel. Once he got over the imposter syndrome, he loved to hear the stories of their swims and all their big water ambitions — and to talk about the challenges, fears, and joys of it all.

In those months, Jim took every bit of training, guidance, and advice that was going. I remember him thriving on the challenge and his enjoyment at being exposed to so many new experiences, not least yoga, massage, aromatherapy, all of which he embraced with gusto and good humour.