Scottish endurance swimmer Caroline Connor has set a new Fastest Known Time on what is known as The Mighty 3. It’s also believed the Scottish athlete is only the second person to swim the length of three English lakes, Ullswater, Windermere and Coniston in one day.
Caroline, of Peebles, in the Scottish Borders, swam 23.35 miles in a total of 11 hours on August 27.
It was through a company called Triskeli Swims, which offers swims in the Lake District, that Caroline first heard of The Mighty 3. She said: “I thought, ‘I could do that’ and then I thought, ‘Actually, I really need to do that!’ ”
Caroline’s love-distance of long swims
Caroline has come a long way since she did her first outdoor swim event wearing a borrowed wetsuit. She completed a 5k event at Loch Lomond in 2016.
She was immediately hooked and decided that she liked the idea of longer swims. She set herself the challenge of her first “biggie” , to swim the length of Loch Lomond in 2017. She took 12 hours and 20 minutes to swim the 21 miles.
She said: “It was a tough swim but I loved it. I loved the sense of freedom of swimming in such an iconic loch; just me, my boat crew and my husband Grahame waiting for me at the end.”
Loch Awe in 2018 was the next challenge for Caroline. She swam the 26 miles in 12 hours 45 minutes.
Then came Loch Ness came in 2019. Caroline said: “I stormed my way through the length of Loch Ness in 10 hours 44 minutes and to date it is the most satisfying swim yet.”
In 2021, Caroline achieved another dream swim, to cross the English Channel .
She also completed a two-way, 21-mile Lake Windermere swim in 2019.
Caroline’s’ record setting Mighty 3 swim
Just three weeks after deciding to swim The Mighty 3, Caroline was at the start of the challenge at 3.45am in Ullswater.
She says: “It was pitch black with only the lights of the boat crewed by Rebecca and Kath from Triskeli Swims. The dark doesn’t bother me as I usually zone out quite quickly. I only got yelled at twice when I started swimming away from the boat.
“I blame my poor eyesight because I can’t, or stubbornly won’t, wear my prescription goggles.
“Anyway, it got light fairly quickly and before I knew it I was at the end with Grahame waiting for me to transfer me to Lake Windermere.”
The couple were met at Windermere by kayaker Steve Marshall, who started Caroline off down the lake to be met exactly an hour later by Rebecca and Kath in the boat.
Caroline said: “I felt I was swimming like a dream in lovely calm waters. I was feeding well and still feeling good. Windermere is a very busy lake with boats galore but I felt very safe as I was guided towards the end to be met once again by Grahame to whisk me off to Coniston.
“It was really odd getting into a car to be driven to the next swim but it gave me the chance to catch my breath and fuel up.”
Final swim in Lake Coniston
Caroline planned to take it easy on the final lake swim because she didn’t think she could keep up her previous pace.
She says: “I was having a great day, with no injuries or sickness, and as soon as I got into Coniston and we met up with Steve again I decided I was going to try to race him in the kayak.
“I knew it would take me about two hours and 45 minutes to complete the swim and I just thought, ‘Go for it!’
“The boat caught up with this us after 45 minutes and the happiness and enthusiasm oozing out of Rebecca and Kath spurred me on.
“Even when I was nearly taken out by a paddleboarder it didn’t deter me.”
Caroline has great praise for her support team. She says: “Throughout the whole day the crew didn’t shout or talk to me – only at feed times.
“Then, when we were about 15 minutes from the end of Coniston, I couldn’t understand why all of a sudden they both became ‘possessed’!
“Seriously, it was like someone had pressed a switch and they were shouting ‘Come on Caroline, go Caroline, faster faster.’
“I tried my best to rise to the occasion and swim as fast as I could go; my arms and legs were thrashing about. I was shattered but I kept going, still not knowing why I was all of a sudden being screamed at.
“The shore was in view and I could see Grahame and Steve along with dozens of other people – I had done it.”
It turned out that the reason for the shouting was that Caroline had completed the mighty 3 in 11 hours exactly. The support team had realised, she could possibly do it and wanted her to do finish in a great time.
Caroline said: “I have the honour of being the first person to complete The Mighty 3 with Triskeli Swims in a time of 11 hours. It was an amazing day and would recommend it to anyone who wants a different kind of challenge.
“What I have learnt through all of the swims I have done is that team work is the most important factor. If you don’t have a supportive network of family and friends then it won’t work.
“I am the luckiest person to have a husband who would do anything for me and friends who, although they think I am crazy, support me all the way.
“Now as I sit back and think about all the swims I have completed since I started open water swimming, I think, ‘I’ve done not too bad!’ “