Imagine being below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean, alone in the dark, for eight hours – with just the sound of your breath, the power of your stroke and the rhythm of the tides. Such a journey requires great levels of control, resilience and determination. You need to dig deep, and that is what Tracy Piggott did when she took on a 14km solo swim from Co Clare to Galway city in 1998, and it’s what she plans to do again on 28 July, exactly 28 years on. “That swim, it had a profound effect on me for a long time,” says Tracy, speaking to Irish Country Living at Kilashee House in Co Kildare.
The idea came about when Tracy’s friend John Durkan, an amateur jockey and racehorse trainer, passed away from leukaemia at the age of 31. His family set up a trust fund to raise money in his memory. “I decided I wanted to do something really unusual, to capture the imagination. The swim raised £171,000, which is a lot of money now, but back then, it was really significant,” she says.
This time round, Tracy is swimming to raise funds and awareness for Sensational Kids, a charity committed to transforming the lives of children with additional needs, through high-quality therapy services. By swimming in silence, she hopes to amplify the voices of children and families who often struggle to access timely and essential support services.
“I think it’s a travesty when children are not given the right, the absolute right to reach their full potential. Early intervention is key and it doesn’t always happen. And I’ve seen the desperation and frustration it causes families, those endless waiting lists,” says Tracy.
There’s support – and then there’s swimming in a dark ocean for eight hours kind-of-support. While the physical training is intense, a certain level of mental resilience is also required. “Things have changed a lot since ’98, in terms of technical equipment and the science behind underwater swimming. So it’s made things more efficient but it’s still nature, we’re working with the tides.
“I remember the last time, I hit sort of a funny point halfway through, where I thought, Oh God, what am I doing? And you start to see things that maybe aren’t there, your mind plays tricks on you. But I had a chat with myself and kept going. And I never felt in danger – and this time I have the support of Boyne Fishermen’s Rescue and Recovery Service.”
I think it’s a travesty when children are not given the right, the absolute right to reach their full potential. Early intervention is key and it doesn’t always happen
Training requires time in the pool, the gym and the Pilates studio – Tracy recently qualified as a yoga instructor – but the nation has always known her for her love of sport, especially horse racing.
Grandstand meeting
The path to her career in RTÉ was paved by the trot of horses, not surprisingly given her family history – she is the daughter of late champion jockey Lester Piggott and Susan Armstrong, an accomplished equestrian and eventer.
“It’s a very old story now, but I’d ridden a charity race in Leopardstown in 1988 and I was been interviewed afterwards when I was asked had I ever thought of working in television. I hadn’t but I got the opportunity to meet the late Tim O’Connor, who was head of sport in RTÉ. I put my case across, and I remember he looked at me like I was a bit mad, and then I heard nothing,” she says, laughing.
“About six months later, I was in Punchestown and you had to go up these narrow steps to the Grandstand. I wasn’t looking where I was going and I literally bumped straight into him.”
That second meeting turned the dial and Tracy’s first broadcast was at the Derby weekend at the Curragh in 1989. She was scarcely off our TV screens between then and 2020, covering everything from horse racing, show jumping, rugby and the Olympics. But some of her happiest memories hark back to her time on Sports Stadium with Michael Lyster. “I still can’t believe he’s gone,” she says sombrely but then she starts smiling, recalling, “Oh he was so funny. Some days I’d present with him and George Hamilton, and they were very naughty. They used get me into such a fit of giggles during a commercial break and then wait to see if I was able to keep it together when the cameras started rolling again. We had great fun, but they were also very kind, passing on advice because I did make mistakes, especially in the early days, because, you were just thrown in – but I think that’s the best way.”
Asking does she miss life on screen, she says, “Honestly, I found it difficult the first year because I did it for nearly 32 years. It was a bit like a snake shedding its skin because it had become my identity. And it was COVID so it was a strange time. But then I sort of popped out the other side, and thought, ok what’s next?”
This saw Tracy revert to her first love, horses. “I got into Irish Draughts and started showing. For years, I presented at the RDS Horse Show and I loved it – it used be five days back-to-back, and it was a great national occasion.
“So that first day when I brought my mare into the stable area of the RDS, I started crying. I really couldn’t believe I was there. I had been on the outside looking in for so long and it was a whole new experience, momentous, really. I was so proud, and we did quite well. The third year I finally got a rosette and it was seventh place but it was like I had won the Grand Prix. I was whooping, it was such an achievement – myself and big Rosie.”
Oh he [Michael Lyster] was so funny. Some days I’d present with him and George Hamilton, and they were very naughty. They used get me into such a fit of giggles during a commercial break and then wait to see if I was able to keep it together when the cameras started rolling again
Tracy got to share the experience with her father Lester before he passed away in 2022. “He died in Switzerland and I was with him a few days beforehand showing him pictures.”
In the months before he died, Tracy says she spent a lot of time just the two of them, “very sort of quiet time.” Continuing, she says, “And in the first year after he died, there were big memorial services, lovely things – races in his name and wonderful tributes, but honestly, it felt surreal. Then the second year, it hit me, but it also made me reflect a lot – on how amazing he was in what he did and how lucky I’ve been because of that.”
Leaving a legacy
The legacy he left as a jockey has inspired another one of Tracy’s projects.
“It got me thinking how much we owe to horses, so I wanted to create a mark of appreciation.”
Amazingly, she says the first record of her family involved in racing dates back to 1627.
“There’s a wonderful sculptor called Will Newton, who did life-size pieces of my father at various racecourses in England, and he has become a great family friend. I asked him, would he create something that represents all horses in Ireland. So you’ve got the Irish Draught, the Thoroughbred, the Kerry Bog, the Cob, the Connemara, they’re all very different, but very special, and I wanted to celebrate them all.
“So he’s created this incredible piece, and we’re very lucky that it will be in the Irish National Stud, and hopefully, it’s going to be unveiled next February.”
While Tracy’s love for racing has never abated, she isn’t as visible at race days although she occasionally makes an appearance on behalf of her sister Maureen and brother-in-law William Haggas, who are one of Britain’s most prominent training partnerships.
“The problem is when I go to the races these days, I don’t know what to do with myself, because for so many years, I was working and busy. But if Maureen and William have a mare running and they can’t make it over, and they ask me to represent, that’s fine. Then I have a job to do,” she says, laughing.
By supporting Tracy’s Galway Bay challenge in aid of Sensational Kids, donations will help reduce the cost of vital therapy services for families who need them most. Donate at sensationalkids.ie and help ensure every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential.
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