Oscar Black didn’t just swim across the North Channel — he fought stinging jellyfish, punishing currents and his own self-doubt to set a record that’ll be hard to beat.
At just 15, the Lurgan teenager made history last week as the youngest person ever to complete the gruelling swim solo from Northern Ireland to Scotland.
A Long Cold Stretch of Sea
On paper, the route looks deceptively simple: the Gobbins in County Antrim to Portpatrick in Scotland — 35 kilometres if you fly it. But the sea has its own plans.
Oscar ended up swimming a total of 46km (28.5 miles) as he battled currents that pushed him sideways for hours. It took him 16 hours and 38 minutes — almost an entire day in water cold enough to numb his fingers.
He told BBC Good Morning Ulster he sometimes wondered what on earth he’d signed up for: “There was a few times when I was contemplating why am I doing this.”
Stings, Currents and Lost Direction
Imagine this: you’re swimming for hours in open water. You can’t touch the bottom. And then — jellyfish.
Oscar reckons he got stung up to 20 times — from his feet to his nose. But the worst enemy, he says, was the current. At one point, it felt like he was swimming on a treadmill.
He said: “The current was bashing against me the whole time, I don’t think I moved for three hours.”
One sentence says it all: “My head was away at that point.”
From Relay Team to Lone Challenger
Oscar is no stranger to the North Channel. At 14, he completed it as part of a relay team. But solo is a different beast.
This time, it was just him, the cold water and the jellyfish. No hand to tag. No rest on a boat while teammates took their turn.
What pushed him through?
Oscar says it was more mental than physical. He had to fight the urge to give up when the coast of Scotland seemed to stay stubbornly far away.
What Keeps a 15-Year-Old Going?
Most teens spend a Wednesday glued to their phone, maybe worrying about homework. Oscar spent his Wednesday in salt water fighting stingers and tides.
Was it worth it?
“It was all worth it in the end,” he says, with a grin and a trophy bigger than his head to prove it.
Here’s what sets Oscar apart:
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He’s the youngest solo swimmer to ever do the North Channel crossing.
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He swam more than 10km further than the direct route.
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He endured up to 20 jellyfish stings — and kept swimming.
Not your average school holiday.
The Hardest Part? Your Own Mind
Oscar says the physical training was tough, but the real test was what was going on between his ears.
Every time he looked up, Scotland seemed no closer.
The strong tide nearly made him feel stuck in place for hours on end. “Every now and again I’d look up to see if I was getting any closer to Scotland or not, every hour I could see I wasn’t getting any closer.”
At some point, you either panic — or you keep pulling your arms through the freezing water.
More Than a Trophy on the Table
Back home in Lurgan, Oscar sat with a beaming smile by a table piled high with proof of what he’d done: a certificate, three medals and a silver trophy that nearly dwarfs him.
He’s already inspiring others at his school, Lurgan College, where he’s become the local hero who took on the jellyfish and won.
Oscar knows he won’t stay the youngest record holder forever — someone else will try to break his time. But for now? He’s earned every bit of that grin.
And he’s got the stings to prove it.
