Derry's Danny Quigley to swim the Foyle for mental health charities in latest challenge

Derry man Danny Quigley will swim the length of the Foyle to celebrate the lives of those who have died by suicide and raise money for mental health charities.

Money raised will go to Foyle Search and Rescue and the Bogside and Brandywell health forum. The swim starts on Monday 21 August and finishes on the following Sunday. He is aiming to swim for between 10 to 12 hours a day.

Danny, whose father died by suicide in 2011, says he hopes the swim will give friends and families a chance for a positive celebration of the lives and personalities of their loved ones who died in the same way.

“I think there’s a lot of stigma out there that prevent things like this from happening and there’s a lot of families who would like to do stuff sometimes have the feeling of guilt and blame – which they shouldn’t really feel – and that can sometimes hold them back from doing things to remember the people they’ve lost,” he said.

“[Suicide] can sometimes overshadow the good times, the fact that it is a really, sort of, high impact way of leaving; it’s a real sudden, traumatic way to go.

“I think people need to see that they don’t need to worry about celebrating these people and they need to find strength within themselves to allow themselves to remember these people as people, not just a suicide. There’s a story behind every death and the same goes for those who have died through suicide.”

He will start in Lifford and swim for six hours then get out of the water for six hours and then get back in for a further six hours. He will repeat this until he gets to the Kinnagoe Bay.

“Once I get to Kinnagoe bay, hopefully on the 24th, I’m going to set up camp down there and I’m going to swim in a triangle or a straight line up and down for my six hours and just repeat that until the Sunday.

“I’m inviting anybody who wants to come down and swim to come to Kinnagoe Bay. Even if they just want to go in for a dip or show support and throw a few pound in the bucket it’s all appreciated.”

The fundraiser’s stated goal is £500 but surpassing that was never in doubt. At time of writing funds raised sit at over £4,000.

Danny says he only picked £500 because he had to choose something but he’s not swimming with a funding goal in mind.

“It’s not about the money as such, it’s more about the people that I’m swimming for. The main goal is celebrating their lives and showing people there are stories behind these people and they’re really good ones, they’re really good people, there are really good and happy memories, it’s not all doom and gloom.

In 2021 Danny undertook the challenge of running 10 Ironman triathlons in 10 days. An Ironman consists of a 2.4-mile (3.9 km) swim, a 112-mile (180.2 km) cycle and a marathon on foot of 26.22-miles (42.2 km) run.

He helped raise over £100,000 for various charities and earned himself the freedom of the city but he says this is a tougher challenge.

“To be honest I’m more nervous about this one because it’s not a matter of just telling yourself to keep going. It’s a matter of relying on your team, the water safety crew, the weather, the heat of the water and how your insides are performing and how your body is heating itself.

“it’s going to be a lot of mental games and a lot of loneliness. At nighttime its dark outside and I’m going to be going through the night. I’m going to have a lot of time with my own head. When you’re swimming you can’t really hear anybody, all you can really hear is the water.

“I’ll be able to see during the day but at nighttime its literally going to be pitch black and I’m going to be looking at a blinking red light for six hours.”

For the Ironman runs, Danny felt the power lied with him but now it lies with the water.

“The cold water is really in the back of my head telling me I need to be careful here. It’s not a matter of telling yourself to keep going if you’re too cold. It’s a matter of somebody telling you to get out and get warm. It’s a different beast and it’s going to be more challenging.

“It’s a lot of worry. I’m coping with it well. I’m trying to get in the zone now but I was out the other night swimming and I had a really good night. I did like an hour and a half and covered about 6 km but I got stung near the end by a jellyfish.

“It was like being slapped in the face with an iron. I’ve been stung many times but I think this particular jellyfish just hit me in the right spot and the sting lasted around six hours.

“I’m hoping nothing like that happens on the day. A jellyfish sting is grand and I can swim through it but if I get a jellyfish sting while I’m borderline hypothermic that’s really going to test your mental strength.”

The challenge will culminate in a mini-festival at Foyle Search and Rescue.

There will be something for everyone with 20 different artists’ stalls, a bouncy castle and an obstacle course, bumper cars. Foyle Food Festival will also be putting on a mini version of its event.

There will also be mental health stalls for anyone who is struggling with anything and some accessories on sale with proceeds contributing to the fundraiser.

Anyone who wishes to can donate through GoFundMe here.