Young Achiever: Delphine Riley

DELPHINE RILEY has been nominated for the St Pierre Park-sponsored Young Achiever of the Year award.

Her nominator, Nicki Moakes, said that she is an inspiration for people of all ages.

‘At the young age of 15, she swam from Guernsey to Alderney last September,’ she said.

‘She became both the youngest and the fastest person to do this, by taking five hours and 25 minutes to swim 30km.

‘This remarkable feat took incredible determination and ongoing dedication by the teenager, with focus and training to prepare for such a challenge spanning a number of years.

‘Having swum with Beau Sejour Barracudas from the age of seven, Delphine has been involved in multiple competitions, always striving for her next personal best and putting in many hours of training every week. And all the while with great sportsmanship and humility.

‘It is her passion for sea swimming that is perhaps to be most admired, due to the distances involved and the unpredictable nature of the open water.

‘Having spent the summer of 2021 training for her Alderney swim, Delphine completed the triple Herm challenge, swimming to Herm, around Herm and back to Guernsey, as well as swimming 10k along the Guernsey south coast, plus a swim to Sark.

‘In 2020, she broke the record for being the youngest person to swim from Guernsey to Sark,’ she said.

‘Her ability to pursue her goals and achieve the things she sets her mind to are attributes we can all learn from.’