Jeremy's Blind Crossing: Abrolhos Islands to Geraldton

Hi, my name is Jeremy McClure. When I was 15 my eye sight deteriorated over about 6 weeks to leave me with only 2% vision. To give myself a positive distraction from the trauma of losing my vision I took to the pool, one of the few blind accessible sports, and 10 months later competed in my first Paralympic Games in Athens at 17. I then continued to compete for Australia as a 100m backstroker at Beijing 08, London 2012 and Rio 2016. In recent years I have found a new passion in open water swimming and pushing my limits. I’ve done 11 solo Rottnest Chanel crossings (20km), of which 4 were backstroke. Back in February this year I was the first person to swim from Dirk Hartog Island to Denham WA (36km) and now I want to be the first person to swim solo from the Abrolhos Islands to Geraldton approx 55-60kms. I want to demonstrate to people both able bodied and disabled that anything is possible and there is always a way around achieving something, no matter the obstacles. For me to be able to achieve these swims I rely on an incredible team of selfless volunteers. I require a relay team of guide swimmers who swim tethered to me, acting as my eyes and keeping us on track. A team of kayakers are responsible for surrounding us and keeping my guide swimmers on track and delivering vital food and drink every 30 mins throughout the whole swim. They also have the responsibility of hanging a Shark shield under the kayak to provide an extra sense of protection while swimming in the open ocean. When I am doing these big swims I also require boats and support crew, for this swim we have 26 amazing people in the team! I have chosen to raise funds and awareness for Guide Dogs WA as they have assisted me significantly with my first guide dog Presley and my current guide dog, Nina. Guide Dogs WA hold a special place in my heart. I have a belief that I like to live by… there is always a positive out of every negative. Achieving these great feats and sharing it with my team brings me so much pride and joy. Thank you for reading my story. I hope it has inspired you to support Guide Dogs WA.