AN ISLAND swimmer who became only the 27th person to cross the treacherous North Channel has chronicled his lifetime of aquatic adventures in a new memoir.

Graeme Lowe’s A Life Well Swum traces his journey from swimming at Fort Regent and Havre des Pas during the 1970s to completing some of the world’s toughest open-water challenges.

Mr Lowe was just 13 when he completed the seven-mile swim from St Catherine to the Ecréhous, as well as the ten-mile length of Lake Windermere.

But the experience proved too much and he stepped away from the sport for three decades.

His passion was eventually reignited by lunchtime sessions at AquaSplash, which he had initially begun simply to keep fit.

Mr Lowe went on to swim around Jersey, cross from the Island to France and complete the English Channel.

At the age of 50, he faced one of his greatest challenges: crossing the North Channel between Northern Ireland and Scotland.

Although similar in length to the English Channel, it is considered one of the world’s most difficult open-water swims because of its powerful tides, large numbers of jellyfish and water temperatures of between 11°C and 14°C.

Mr Lowe became only the 27th person to complete the crossing and was, at the time, the oldest to do so.

However, he said the memoir was about more than his achievements in the water.

“The book is about much more than the distances swam,” he explained.

“It’s also about where my love of the sea came from, the people who helped me and the Jersey swimming community that made it all possible. My story begins and ends here, in Jersey.”

The Jersey Long Distance Swimming Club, which was founded in 1974, plays a central role in the book.

The club organises and supports Round Jersey and Jersey-to-France attempts, as well as helping local swimmers tackle challenges overseas.

Mr Lowe said he gradually came to understand the importance of those supporting swimmers from escort boats.

“It’s something I didn’t understand at first. Long-distance swimming isn’t a solo sport. A strong team is needed to look after you and I was lucky to have that support right from the start,” he said.

“The book describes how I gradually learnt what was needed, both as a swimmer then through helping others.”

Supporting other swimmers eventually became as important to Mr Lowe as pursuing his own challenges. He has served on support teams, worked as an official observer and assisted boat pilots.

The memoir features prominent Jersey swimmers Sally Minty-Gravett MBE and Wendy Trehiou.

Mr Lowe supported Ms Trehiou during her Guernsey-to-Jersey swim and Ms Minty-Gravett during her two-way English Channel crossing.

The book also recalls lighter moments, including encounters with dolphins off Jersey and California and a visit from a pilot whale during a swim off Scotland.

Mr Lowe initially intended to write a guide for swimmers preparing to cross the English Channel, but changed direction after deciding that he was not telling his “real story”.

“I started again and wrote about learning to rely on others, pushing my limits in middle age and balancing the time and financial pressures of long-distance swimming with family life,” he said.

“I hope the result will appeal not only to swimmers but also to anyone interested in the sea or adventure.”

A Life Well Swum can be ordered from bookshops and Amazon. It is stocked locally by Jersey Artisans Gifts, The Harbour Gallery and Colleen’s Café.

Further information and a free sample are available at alifewellswum.com.