Third Midmar Mile achievement for Darren
Darren is very proud to have completed his third Midmar Mile as a differently-abled swimmer.
IT was a great achievement for Bluff resident, Darren Jeffrey Conolly, when he completed his third Midmar Mile swim in 40min 39sec.
Despite being differently-abled due to extensive injuries he suffered during a freak accident, Conolly, who is also a member of the Wentworth Bowling Club, has not let his situation stop him from achieving sporting success.
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After competing in the 50th Aquelle Midmar Mile, the world’s largest open water swim, Conolly said, “It was about a 2km swim due to the heavy rains and not a mile, which is a 1.6km swim. I was proud to have completed it in 40min 39sec and since I always enjoy the experience, I would definitely like to complete more.
“While the experience itself is a highlight, there are challenges and you can always be fitter, I suppose.”
The 29-year-old was left with a 10% chance of survival after the freak accident and is lucky to be alive after a 14.7m fall out of a pine tree while he was retrieving a flag when he was an engineering student at university in 2013.
Although he narrowly missed falling into a concrete boundary wall, he still suffered extensive injuries, leaving him with a shattered right collarbone, broken rib and sternum and punctured lungs.
He learned to walk and talk again and eventually found bowls as a great way to get outdoors and play sport. Conolly made it as a newbie when he competed in the Disabled National Bowling Tournament in 2022.
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