Jonty Warneken completes first swim around Jersey by an amputee

He may be missing one leg but that doesn’t stop him from tackling the toughest marathon swims, says Kate Steels

Jonty Warneken swam his way into the history books once again as he became the first para swimmer and amputee to swim 56km around Jersey on Monday 4 August 2024.

Jersey-based swimming legend Sally Minty-Gravett MBE planted the seed in Jonty’s head after he completed the North Channel (Ireland – Scotland) in 2023. Jonty didn’t however need much persuading and jumped at the opportunity, seeking another ‘first’ marathon swim in the beautifully warm clear waters of Jersey.

Sally also organised the swim, which was deferred from early June due to bad weather. A new date was set for early August. The tide window is short but for any successful swim around Jersey, the right tides are essential. It is a very technical swim and an experienced pilot/crew is a necessity. I was part of Jonty’s support crew on “Sappho”, piloted by Carlton Moody and Sally.

The swim was also supported by RED, who provided essential kit (see list below) including waterproof bags and changing robes. As Jonty is an amputee, the kit also included his spare “wet” leg – he doesn’t travel light!

The swim started perfectly at 0608 hours as the sun rose in a clear sky, shimmering over glassy seas and Jonty made excellent progress. The tide was increasing, giving him a fabulous push. It was magical; outdoor swimming doesn’t get much better than this and reminds us all why we do it.

Sally was the official observer on the swim. I managed Jonty’s “gourmet” feeding plan, giving him warm drinks, snacks and treats every 30 minutes. Anyone fancy trying cheese, ham and fig flapjack? Or maybe guava jelly?

The first couple of hours were fast and uneventful and allowed us to enjoy the stunning Jersey scenery from the sea. However, after St Catherine’s breakwater, rounding the northeastern corner at La Coupe point, we went into a long and rolling swell which increased as we passed the halfway point at the TV mast at Fremont. It turned into a very nasty chop caused by Force 3 winds against the tide as we neared Grosnez Point on the northwestern corner of Jersey.

This is an area notorious for rough seas where the Atlantic meets the Channel on a shelving seabed.  An able-bodied swimmer wouldn’t have enjoyed this part but for Jonty it was particularly tough as he couldn’t balance his body position through the waves due to having only one leg. Nonetheless, he put his head down and got on with the swim, one arm after another. We told him the sea would calm after the headland, which it duly did.

The next stretch was swimming along the five-mile stretch of St Ouen beach. It’s a beautiful long sandy beach – but one that seems to take forever to swim past as the tidal assistance drops at this point. After a couple of hours, Jonty approached Corbiere lighthouse and a pod of dolphins came to say hello and provide an escort for the home run.

As anticipated, the water chopped up once again as Jonty rounded Corbiere. The sun was shining brightly, and we managed to get some iconic photos of Jonty swimming past the lighthouse.

The water flattened and the tidal current picked up again – reaching 5km/h at one point. Jonty was on the homeward stretch. Passing the tower at Noirmont, we entered St Aubin’s Bay. The dolphins came closer and swam all around Jonty and under the boat. Magical! Whilst Jonty didn’t see them, he told us he could hear them singing – it was like a homecoming celebration.

The harbour wall at St Helier which you touch to officially start and finish the swim was in sight and fast approaching. I jumped into the water to swim the last few hundred metres or so with Jonty. He touched the wall, Sally sounded the horn and the swim was done. Jonty finished in an impressive time of 11 hours 33 mins although it might have been a bit quicker if we hadn’t been distracted by the dolphins.

However, the reality of being a para swimmer then kicked in. Although exhausted, instead of just climbing back into the boat, Jonty had to have a little extra swim around the pier to the steps where he started. This was the easiest place for Jonty to get back into the boat and finally it was all done.

I am hugely proud of Jonty. It was a truly impressive and inspirational swim. Not only does Jonty inspire para swimmers to come into the world of ice swimming, he leads by example and shows what para athletes can achieve in marathon swimming. We are both also very grateful to RED for all their support and for providing such first-class gear and kit. The tote bag was ideal for holding all the feeds, flasks and food and the adventure backpack for our swim kit and it made the organisation so much easier.