Teenage swimmers Charlotte O’Driscoll and Charlotte Gower achieve milestones

Two teenage swimmers have achieved significant milestones in their respective disciplines.

In Ireland, 16-year-old Charlotte O’Driscoll has completed several long-distance swimming feats, including a 21km swim from Fastnet Rock to Baltimore and a relay crossing of the English Channel with a six-person team known as ‘The Mighty Ones’. Recognized as the Junior Female Swimmer of the Year at the Irish Long Distance Awards, O’Driscoll plans to use future challenges to raise funds for the charity Mencap.

In Great Britain, 15-year-old Charlotte Gower has been nominated for the Deaf Sports Personality of the Year 2026. Gower, who is deaf and lives with epilepsy, won seven medals—three gold, three silver, and one bronze—representing Great Britain at the 2025 Tokyo Deaflympics. She has also competed in the Aquatics GB Swimming Championships and is reportedly awaiting verification for a short course deaf swimming world record.