SWIMTERVIEW
UNSINKABLE
Alan Corcoran swam the length of Ireland in memory of his father.
By Jonathan Cowie
Image: David Murphy
What drives humans to take on endurance challenges? Athletes in many disciplines have pushed the boundaries of what is considered possible to accomplish amazing feats – from Alex Honnold free-soloing the 3,000-foot wall of El Capitan to Sarah Thomas swimming an unprecedented four-way English Channel solo. Challenging expectations and extending the physical and mental limits of what humans are capable of, solo endurance challenges can also be an opportunity to process big emotions and give meaning to life when faced with seemingly unsurmountable grief and tragedy.
Alan Corcoran is no stranger to either big challenges or personal tragedy. In 2011 Alan’s dad, Milo, suffered a debilitating stroke. As Milo worked tirelessly to recover, his son decided that he would run 35 marathons in 35 days to raise money for charity. On 30 June 2012, Milo stood “proud, alive, and free” under the finish line of the Waterford Viking Marathon to embrace Alan as he finished his 35th marathon. He had become the first person to run around Ireland’s coast. In his new book, Unsinkable, Alan writes of the “life affirming joy” he felt at the end of the charity adventure: “Dad had returned from the brink. My family triumphed over adversity.”