Marathon swimmer

Galway Bay swim for Cancer Care West

So you are runner or triathlete and feel invicible ? Try this ! You will feel like a small vulnerable fish in the big Ocean Swimming the bay. This is my way to remind myself and maybe others how vulnerable we are to Nature, Illness as a fragile human being.

18 years ago, I joined the coaching team of Galway swimming Club and played with Corrib Water Polo team. A lot of water went under the bridge since

At that time, I was part of a big picture and was highly involved locally, and saw the development in the west of running clubs and events, performance swimming and Triathlon. From Joining the new Athenry AC senior Club with Mick Rice to the first Connemarathon with Ray O'Connor, Co-founder of Galway Triathlon club and later Predator Triathlon Club and seeing so many events now in the west, I am proud to have been part of it and that I contribute a small bit to it. This is my drop of contribution in the Irish sports history which will be forgotten some days.

Kingfsiher Longest day swim 2016 (from Kevin of Galway)

So what is Swimming Galway bay?

Youtube short video HERE

When I decided to settle in Galway after a few years coming to Ireland. I received a warm welcome from the lovely people of Galway, certainly too many to mention but one Frances Thornton deserve that special mention. Frances, was a welcoming person with great social skills who loved her family the way we all wish we would every day. Some people are just great example to others, it's a natural gift, some just can share their good vibrations when you need it. Frances was one of them, when working with parents was more difficult than with children sometimes, we needed her to be around.

Along the years, Fiona and Kevin grow to be great role models along with many others of our young swimmers. I remember discussing this with Earl McCarthy now UCD head coach and 1996 Olympic swimmer after some of our early morning session getting coffee and watching people rushing to work at 8am. This was for me the best years with Galway swimming club at the time chaired by Eamonn Caufield.

At the time, I was sharing my passion for Triathlon with the swimmers and had a little group training in Salthill by 2000. I was involved with French and German marathon runners with a few others, was developing Elite coaching in Ireland and developing the coaching pathway for Triathlon Ireland with the National Coaching and Training Centre in limerick.

Things were going well. I created the first and oldest full time professional coaching services and while many thought I was going to fail, I battled my way to success which help me to become an even better coach. I discussed it with Pat Divilly who share a similar experience, just never, never give up your dreams. People ask me so many times how do you go to the Olympics? How can I be a high performance coach? I asked the same questions over 20 years ago. Believe, be honest with yourself, never give up, be committed and give it all you have. You will fail many times but your success will depend on how fast you will learn to stand up each time.

In 2006 I was suffering from major spinal issues some from birth but when I was crushed in the 1999 turkey earth quakes and survived while working as a nurse in the French Special rescue operation team, I thought my time was coming. The same year I lost my dear athlete Caroline Kearney. After months of agony and ending into a wheelchair waiting for surgery, I was forced to leave my swimming team in Castlebar which was quite heart breaking. What a great team I had and with Coach Marian English and Joe Moran, we had Nicholas Quinn coming up as a promising athletes and 10 years later will be swimming at the Olympic games in Ireland, thanks to them.

In 2007 I was still waiting for my surgery and thanks to Mr Devitt orthopaedic surgeon in Merlin Park Hospital in Galway, I was able to walk again without major mechanical malfunction. This Doctor had a different mind that others, he was a runner, he knew I will be going training and he had to find a solution as he knew that “you can’t anymore” would not work with me. I am so thankful to have a doctor who could just see more than just a broken body. That Year Frances disappeared due to illness and with my personal life issues I only was informed a few months later during my own recovery. I lost touch since late 2005 and during those two year I lost contact with many people.

For the following years I kept saying to Kevin who runs the Galway Bay Swim "I will do it, I have to do it". Unfortunately, it always fell into the Irish Swimming Calendar the same weekend than the Irish Swimming Age Groups Championship. This Year I decided to do it and without wetsuit to make it worth it. Not just for me as a challenge but as a thanks to Frances for what she gave me, her courage and to bring a little bit of bravery to all the people fighting cancer.

4km Time trial for the bay 2016

For all the friends I lost to it, close family members and to all my fellow runners and Triathletes fundraising for it. It is around us; we can't ignore it. In Portumna forest marathon each year, it has an impact on me as a race organiser, from the Ballinasloe Road runners to teams and individuals, I see a lot of good in people. I suppose it were we have to grow as people, leaving all the grudge we have toward others, when competitiveness is worthless. Let’s be part of a bigger picture in a world some tries to arms others with guns and lawyers, let’s be part of a part of simply being human when our aim in life should just be touching someone’s life with greatness.

My training is going well for this with the time trial with team recently:
To the Longest day swim 4km without wetsuit along the Corrib last weekend and now the prom swims every Thursday night in Salthill, I think I am on the right path with my team mates of the Atlantic Masters open water swimming Club.

Atlantic Masters Open Water Swimming Club before the trial

If you feel like donating even €3, and I know it’s a huge effort to get the credit card out of the wallet please do so. It is for a great cause and I hope the following short documentary will tell you where your money goes to.

If you want to know more please watch this documentary :

 Documentary about this amazing story HERE

Sebastien Locteau