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Meet the Mermaids

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I was born in Henley-on-Thames, and moved back to Henley after studying the violin at Music College in London.  I have 3 children: Mae 24, Ava 21 and Alfie 19, two dogs Sir Reginald (Italian Spinone) and Mavis (miniature Daschund) .  

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Around 18 years ago I founded and continue to head-up Henley Music School (HMS), a charity which provides all types of music education to anyone regardless of age, ability, background or means.  I have just launched our newest incitive - Henley Community Hub, a wonderful old building originally built in 1908, to be refurbished and turned into a hub for all, and a permanent home for HMS.  

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I began open water swimming about 7 years ago, after damaging my back running the London Marathon (hated every second of it), and that same year I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia.  Initially I was only able to do very slow breast-stroke but gradually taught myself to do front crawl, then by training hard, swimming a lot and a little bit of coaching, started to love long-distance swimming.

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I particularly love the contrast between the beautiful summer long-distant swims and the freezing of the Thames in winter, mist rising with the bite of the cold water.  Although in the depth of winter I long for the beautiful, wildlife filled long distance swims.

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My ambition is to see our river happy, healthy and full of life.  To see our depleted biodiversity restored, leaving a legacy for future generations.  To connect everyone to their blue spaces, so individuals take responsibility for their watery neighbours, after all, our waterways are first and foremost for wildlife.

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My biggest achievement to date is swimming the English Channel, which I did on August 23rd 2023 in a time of 15 hours 23 mins.  Closely followed by 20 Bridges, around Manhattan Island, which was the hardest swim I've ever completed, swimming almost 50k in rough waters.​

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My 2025 adventures take me to LA, where I will attempt the Catalina Channel, becoming the 6th British women over 50 to achieve this.  I am then hoping to tick off the Oceans 7 Swims, in a race to become the 1st British Woman.  Please get in touch if you can support me on my journey to inspire while giving our waterways a voice.

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Swims completed:

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Nominated Sue Ryder Woman of achievement 2016

Community Champion Award - 2018

Nominated Charity Champion - 2021

Nominated Charity Champion - 2022

Coronation Award 2023 - Her Majesty The Queen Consort & Royal Voluntary Service

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Kindly Sponsored by: 

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Healthium Clinics

Surf Ears

GLL Foundation

Laura Reineke

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Born and raised in Sydney, Australia, I grew up swimming at Coogee Beach and in the beautiful ocean pools of Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs.

I joined the Henley Open Water Swimming Club in 2016, and have swum throughout the year ever since, in the summer when the water is warm and slow and through the winter when it is grey, fast and freezing.

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In 2019, I was elected as a Green Party Councillor on South Oxfordshire District Council, and in 2020, I was appointed the District's River Thames Champion.  Working with the Council and Thames 21, in 2021, I initiated the application for Bathing Water Status in Wallingford and have supported applications in Henley and Pangbourne too.  Working with groups like London Waterkeeper, I successfully campaigned for Thames Water to release real-time sewage discharge alerts.

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My passion is the restoration of bathing areas along the length of the Thames - I want to see our river reclaimed for people and nature.  My tow sons and all children deserve to be able to swim in a river that is clean and healthy.  I am working with my fellow Mermaids and Henley Town Council to reinstate a bathing area in our beautiful town to create better access to the river for all.

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I haven't completed many swimming challenges - but I've seen plenty of kingfishers.  I swim for pleasure, and for the deep joy of connecting with nature.  When I'm not swimming or campaigning, I am at university training to be a psychotherapist, and am a trustee of a local housing charity.​​

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Swims Completed:

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Jo Robb

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Originally from Bedfordshire, my first job at the Water Research Centre, Medmenham brought me to the Chilterns and the River Thames. I have lived here now for nearly thirty years with my husband Mike and we have three children, one at university and two at local secondary schools. We all love the Chilterns and at the weekend can usually be found either walking, cycling, running or swimming somewhere in countryside! I currently work part-time as a french teacher at Emmer Green Primary School.

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I have always loved the water, especially swimming in the sea on family holidays, but it was only four years ago that I began to swim regularly in the Thames and joined Henley Open Water Swimming Club. I absolutely love the buzz of cold water and being able to see our natural world from a different perspective.

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I swim all year round with friends from the club and, with their support and encouragement, I have completed a few open water swimming events, including the Thames Marathon. As a member of the Henley Mermaids Relay team, last Summer we made a nail-biting and successful crossing of the Channel. Now we feel the need for another challenge and, more importantly, something to look forward to in the Summer!

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Swims completed:

Susan Barry

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While calling Henley my home now, I originate from Mountmellick, a small market town in the Irish midlands, where I grew up with my five brothers and two sisters. Some of my earliest memories are of swimming with family and friends in a stretch of the river Oweness  known as ‘The Four Banks’, as well as on family holidays in Tramore and Curracloe in the south east of Ireland.

 

Having lived in Henley since early 2003, I am a sales director for a global software company.  While I used to travel a lot for work, I am a committed member of Henley Open Water Swimming Club (HOWSC), and I swim year round in the River Thames with my club mates and Henley Mermaid friends. Having had a 15 year break from swimming, I say that one of the best decisions I ever made was to join HOWSC, and with the friends and support that I've found in the club, I successfully completed the Thames Marathon twice, as well other open water swim events, and also 100km in 100 days swim challenge in the summer of 2018.

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Swims completed:

Joan Fennelly

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