Channel swimmer started in the Mary

JAY FIELDING

FROM the Mary River to the English Channel, swimming really has taken Gary Ullmann places.

The former Maryborough lad completed the gruelling Channel swim, a perennial favourite of long-distance swimmers, last month.

He clocked a time of 11 hours and 43 minutes between Dover in England and Audinghen in France, over a distance of 33.5km.

Sister Rhonda Davis said their parents, Robert and Judith Ullmann, and she and sister Leigh were incredibly proud of his achievement.

“We swam in the Mary River for years as children and all members of Maryborough Swimming Club,” she said.

Following the swim, Gary said he had done more than enough training ahead of time.

“At the end of the day it wasn’t as difficult as I’d anticipated,” he said.

“I was very lucky the water temperature was warmer than expected.”

Gary said swimming had been a huge part of his life and kept him in good health, mentally and physically.

“It’s where I do my mental filing every day,” he said.

“Thirty years ago, a back specialist told me I’d have back pain for the rest of my life and swimming was the best way to keep that in check.”

Gary’s onboard manager for the swim was Matt Duggan, who prepared his feeds, communicated with him and liaised with the pilot, Kevin Sherman, about his course.

The former Hervey Bay Humpbacks Masters Swimming Club president, who now lives in Melbourne, had been training for the swim for three years.

During that time, he had been videoconferencing with Matt, who works for UK swim company Red Top.

He had also worked alongside sports dietitian Christie Johnson, with the pair testing various foods and narrowing down the perfect combination for the event.

Wife Dianne said the extensive training with his coach had seen him waking at 4.30am for long sessions before work.

“He kept up the ocean swims – even in sub-10- degree water!” she said.

Dianne said he had also had critical support from fellow members of a host of swimming clubs and open water groups in Melbourne.

“Since coming to Melbourne for work five years ago, he’s been fortunate to find many swimmers who have swum or were training to swim the English Channel – and this was his lifelong dream,” she said.