The father of an Irish student who died in a kayaking accident in Washington DC is to set a world record in her honor. Ella Mills passed away following a tragic incident on the Potomac River on September 17, 2023.
The 20-year-old from Dublin had just moved to the US to study English at Columbia University in New York as part of a Trinity College program. Ella was on a trip with the Columbia Whitewater Kayaking Club at the time of her death.
On August 25, 2024, a year to the day since Ella's parents, Ralph and Jo-Ann, saw their "beloved" daughter for the last time, Ralph will commemorate Ella's life by setting the Guinness World Record for the Aqua Running Marathon.
Ralph told IrishStar.com : "We went over to New York with Ella for a few days to move her into her accommodation and have a family holiday on Hilton Head Island. It was lovely. When we dropped her off at her apartment before heading to the airport , Ella was looking at us through the glass, waving goodbye. Jo-Ann didn't want to turn away.
"She said she couldn't turn away until Ella did. Eventually, Ella got into the lift, and that was the last time we saw her. Ella was brilliant. She decided after spending five months in New York as a child that she wanted to live there.
"Jo-Ann was transferred to the US for work and Ella and I treated the city as our playground. We done everything you could possibly think of doing and had the city to ourselves. There were no crowds. That left a mark on her.
"All her life, Ella was determined she was going to live in New York one day. Everything she did was driven by it. She jumped on the Trinity program - she knuckled down, saved up, and studied hard to get the grades for Columbia.
"We recently discovered beautiful poems Ella had written about her life-long yearning to live in New York . She'd never told us she was writing like this but it was extraordinary. She was so smart. She adored her family and they adored her. She was sharp. She had such potential. The mind boggles at what she could have went on to achieve."
Ralph recalls the moment the Gardai - Irish police - knocked on the family's door in the early hours of the morning to tell them that Ella had passed away, just three weeks after they had left the bright young woman in the States .
Ralph stayed with their other children, Ella's brother and sister, while Jo-Ann and her sister flew to the US to bring Ella home. Ella was insured and died in a developed country with "impeccable relations" with Ireland , Ralph noted.
Despite this, the repatriation process was "harrowing and fraught with complications". The family quickly became aware of the Kevin Bell Repatriation Trust which aims to alleviate some of the financial and logistical burdens faced by those who have lost family members abroad in tragic circumstances , and to help bring them home to Ireland.
"It took a week to bring Ella home," Ralph went on. "We had every assistance from Columbia University and the Garda Liaison Officer stationed in DC who was a wonderful man. He looked after Jo-Ann and her sister and even took a day's holiday to drive them around in a bid to get through the red tape and speak to the various authorities .
"The process was still a nightmare for Jo-Ann. During the lowest time of our lives, when we had logistical issues, paperwork to do, and the pressure to pay upfront for various services, we got an insight into the work the Trust do.
"It's not the sort of organization you ever want to hear about - if you do, you're in the worst situation you can be in - but they are there for people who need them. We didn't have to avail of their services but they are tragically busy."
Ralph was determined that if he was going to do something in Ella's name, it would be for the Trust. In an incredible 20 hours, he will run 844 lengths of a full chest-depth 50m swimming pool in the Westwood Club in Clontarf .
"There is something very special about running through water ," Ralph explained. "It supports your body, relieves pressure on your joints, and helps blood flow. It's used by physios as a way of healing, and it's been healing for me.
"You get aches and pains but as the hours go by, the pain disappears . Having something to work towards that's connected with Ella helps me mentally. She would probably laugh and roll her eyes if she could see what I'm doing.
"What I'm doing is almost a piece of performance art and a metaphor for pushing through grief . People have told me time and time again to keep putting one foot in front of the other, and that's literally what I'm doing.
"The water is supporting me and holding me and if I keep leaning forward, sooner or later, I'll make the distance. I'm not prepared for the emotion and excitement of the day but I'll have an army of supporters with me and want it to be a party atmosphere. That's what will get me through." To donate to Ralph's fundraiser, please click here .
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