SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — Barbara McNeill was cold and tired as she hit the 16-hour mark of her swim across the English Channel.
As she fought the currents, she spared a thought to her hometown and the people there, cheering her on.
“Every hour, I had a dedication to each side of the boat, so I thought of someone each hour. I never really worried if I was going to finish it. I just knew each hour was a new swim for me, because it was dedicated to people,” said McNeill.
At the top of each hour, McNeill changed which side of the boat she swam on and mentally dedicated the time to a special person.
She thought of her hometown and what it meant to her in the last hour of that swim.
“The City of Summerside and my community. They were so supportive throughout (the journey).”
McNeill swam the English Channel and landed on France’s shores 30 years ago on Aug. 24, 1989.
She became the first Atlantic Canadian, and overall 15th Canadian at the time, to accomplish the feat.
On Monday night, the City of Summerside celebrated her milestone and her retirement as an aquatic manager, which was a position she held for more than 40 years.
Former broadcaster Paul H. Schurman recalled the time when McNeill first stepped into his office at the CJRW radio station and asked him to help her find a way to accomplish her dream.
"Paul, I want to swim the English Channel," McNeill said to Schurman.
"Why don't you?" he asked.
"I don't know how to go about it," she said.
"Be prepared, physically and mentally, and leave the rest to me," he told her.
At the time, Schurman would head the fund raising committee that helped McNeill make her way to England.
Rough currents
In 1988, she dove into English water and was only four kilometres away from the shore when she was told to abort her mission, due to rough currents.
The following week, she again started her swim but voluntarily got out of the water in an effort to perform CPR on fellow swimmer Renata Agondi, a 20-year-old Brazilian woman who suffered a heart attack.
Before McNeill could reach the Agondi’s boat, she was airlifted out of the water and pronounced dead later in hospital.
The third time really was the charm for McNeill. After a 17-and-a-half hour swim she reached the shores of France.
As McNeill ends her long career as aquatic manager, she remembers her days at the Summerside pool.
“We had the Canada Games there with the synchronized swimmers. The main thing for me though, was teaching the young people and being a leader for them and my staff.”
McNeill treasures the time she got to spend with her family at the pool.
“My favourite memory is teaching my nieces and nephews how to swim.”
When asked if she could give any advice to the new manager, she said self-confidence is key.
“Just believe in yourself as a leader. Trust in the young staff you’ll have and take passion in what you do.”
