Extreme swimmer Gráinne 'IT FEELS SO SPIRITUAL'

The 'jellyfish magnet' wants to knock off one more big challenge

- Kasia De Vydt-Jillings

Gráinne Moss will never forget being unexpectedly pulled out of the water by the scruff of her neck into a safety boat as she swam the Cook Strait crossing, only to be told a shark was circling where she had been just moments earlier.

“I’m the only person ever to have a recorded shark encounter in the Cook Strait,” shares Gráinne, 55.

Six minutes later, she hopped back in the water and swam for another four-and-a-half hours, finishing in the dark at 9.30pm.

She has also earned the nickname “jellyfish magnet” after being absolutely hammered by them while swimming more than 13 hours from Scotland to Ireland in 12.8-degree water that left her in the beginning stages of hypothermia.

But it’s all been worth it, she says, for the incredible experiences and friends she’s made in the past 38 years of swimming some of the world’s most challenging open water channels.

“It’s such an incredible community,” she tells. “I’ve barely swum a stroke alone.”

Growing up in Northern Ireland, Gráinne’s swimming talents were spotted early on. At 16, she placed ninth in the first-ever open water swimming world championships. As the youngest athlete there, fellow competitors urged her to try swimming the English Channel.

Gráinne's first thoughts were, "You've got to be kidding me. I can't do that!".