Paralympian Jeremy McClure to attempt epic 40km Shark Bay swim from Dirk Hartog Island to Denham

A superstar swimmer will head to Shark Bay to attempt a daring open-water marathon next month. As if swimming 40km through windswept waters no one has attempted before wasn’t enough, Jeremy McClure won’t be able to see where he is going — the four-time Paralympian is legally blind. McClure, who has done the Rottnest Channel swim 10 times including backstroke and at night in a triple crossing attempt, said the Shark Bay marathon would be difficult but he was certain it was achievable. “I couldn’t do this without the support of my team, who are all amazing people,” he said. “If the current’s very strong and going against me, I could be swimming basically in one spot. “It could be very demoralising if my team on board yells ‘you’ve swum 100m in 30 minutes’. “But I’m optimistic. “If the wind is very strong heading towards Denham I’m comfortable we can ride the waves.” McClure said he would set off from Denham around 3am on February 19 with three boats and a team of paddlers and swimmers, before turning around and starting the swim back from the island around 4.30am, aiming to arrive 12-15 hours later. While conditions won’t be the best for the swim this early in the year due to high winds, McClure said the arrival of a baby with partner Dian Fogarty, who he described as “my inspiration”, meant he would undertake the feat in summer rather than towards winter. McClure said he used to work out to help train for swimming but was now more focused on swimming longer distances, of a around a dozen kilometres, in various conditions in the ocean to get used to the challenges. McClure was diagnosed with Leber hereditary optic neuropathy at age 15, a condition that led to him becoming legally blind just 10 weeks later. He has competed at the Athens, Beijing, London and Rio Olympics. Australian Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame member Shelley Taylor-Smith said an open-water swim that had not been done before was an impressive challenge. “Being a first is pretty impressive,” Taylor-Smith said. “You’ve got no reference point. “You can’t discuss the logistics with anyone, because it hasn’t been done before. “That makes it a great feat in and of itself.” She said factors such as hazards and wind and currents made open-water swimming challenging, as well as the distance involved. McClure said while he had not publicised the swim attempt much, he was open to donations or other support to help fund costs. Readers can find more information or support the swim through the Jeremy McClure Paralympian Facebook page.