Toby Doherty, 21 Mar
A Derry woman will take on a 24 hour ‘swimathon’ to raise money for
Foyle Women's Aid, which provides support for victims of domestic abuse
and sexual violence.
On 9 April, Patricia Breslin will swim for 17 hours in total with half
hour breaks, though the exact split may ebb and flow.
Patricia says she's looking forward to the challenge, which was set to
take place late last year but had to be rescheduled due to the delayed
reopening of City Baths.
“I'm actually really excited and people say to me 'how can you be
excited for a swim?' It is a big challenge, there's no doubt that I'm
going to be tired but I really am excited,” she said.
“It's a challenge too that shows, it doesn't matter what age you are,
you can accomplish whatever you want in life. If you set your mind to
it, anything is achievable and even coming through domestic violence
and addiction myself, it's achievable.
“I have the support of people around me and if people want to come in
and donate or come in and spectate or even do half an hour to an hour
swimming.”
In 2023, there were 3,197 domestic abuse incidents and crimes recorded
by the police in Derry and Strabane, an increase of 103 on the year
before. A total of 3,3071 were recorded across the North in 2023, an
increase of 144.
Patricia says she knows firsthand about the great work Foyle Women's
Aid does.
“It takes a lot of courage to walk away from the domestic home or
whatever it may be. In the aftermath, because we're so stripped of
self-worth and self esteem, it's about rebuilding your life, especially
for yourself first and foremost, and then the ripple effect of that for
your children.
“In my day, 27 years ago, we just had the Journey to Freedom, which is
all about the perpetrator but we never had the other programmes such as
building healthy relationships and moving forward from domestic
violence and creating a better life, getting back into employment and
getting your whole self-worth back and being able to do things that you
want in life rather than living in fear.”
Another Derry swim-challenge veteran, Danny Quigley has been helping
Patricia along the way, with training schedules and moral support when
needed.
“Danny has been really, really supportive and we meet nearly every
fortnight just to check in and he says he’ll be there on the day as
well to check how I’m feeling physically every time I come out of the
water. He’s been like a mentor.
“He is supporting me with the training so I've had a link-in with him
last week. After not swimming for a lengthy period the momentum had
stalled so we spoke about the structure of the swim on the day but at
the same time, it may not go exactly as planned and my physical health
may go different ways.
“I'll need to have people in around the clock for that 24 hours just to
keep that momentum going.”
The delay resulted in her taking a little time off training but
Patricia says she’s back to top performance.
“I did take a break over Christmas and I was struggling after it but
with the mindset and in a physical sense I'm in a good place now.
“I checked in with Danny when I was struggling as we all need that
support sometimes so, lift the phone and get the right advice from the
right person.”
However, it means she will now get to take on the challenge on a day of
significance for her.
“The date holds a significant personal meaning for me because it marks
the sixth year of my sobriety.
“The journey has been so deeply entwined because of my domestic
violence, addiction, childhood trauma spanning over three decades. So
it's imperative for us to recognise that many individuals, particularly
women, employ alcohol or another substance as a coping mechanism while
enduring domestic violence.”
Patricia said she would like to thank her family, friends and the
public for supporting her journey and the message getting out there.
You can donate to Patricia’s fundraiser on Just Giving.