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The duo took on the Broome Open Water Series at the iconic Cable Beach, swimming side by side in the 2.5 kilometre event. The Broome swim delivered postcard-perfect conditions, but it was the sight of Grant and Cooper powering through the water together that stole the show.

“Swimming in the same race with Cooper at Cable Beach was very special,” Mr Cheshire said.

“Usually I’m paddling beside him, helping with feeds and giving direction.

 “But this time I got to be in the thick of it. It was a memorable event.”

Cooper, now 15, is no stranger to the ocean. He was the youngest registered solo swimmer for the 2025 Rottnest Channel Swim and has a season packed with marathon swims ahead, including the gruelling 20-kilometre Geobay Swim in November.

But Broome offered something different.

“The water was warm and salty and Cable Beach had this mix of beauty and challenge,” he said..

“It felt different to other swims I’ve done. It was incredible.”

Grant’s pride is unmistakable.

“Cooper has come from very humble beginnings in sport,” he said.

“To see him finish second overall in Broome is remarkable.

He’s got huge ambitions, and they’re all his own, I’ve done my fair share of long-distance swims and I’m left in awe watching his grit and determination.”

Their journey began with a Bronze Medallion course Grant did with his eldest son, Bailey.

What started as a simple safety qualification turned into a shared passion for the outdoors and a pursuit of fitness that now sees Grant and Cooper swimming from Mullaloo to Pinnaroo Point for fun.

The Broome event was made possible thanks to a $43,000 grant awarded to Swimming WA by the Department of Creative Industries, Tourism and Sport. The funding is part of the WA Government’s commitment to building an active, connected Western Australia through the Sport and Recreation Events Funding Program. This initiative supports events that promote mass participation, regional inclusion and community wellbeing, not just elite competition.

In the 2025–26 round of the program, a total of $1,477,357 was distributed to 43 local, state and national sport and active recreation organisations. These grants are helping bring events like the Broome Open Water Swim to regional communities, creating opportunities for people of all ages and abilities to get involved.  

For the Cheshires, it wasn’t about medals or finish times. It was about connection, which is forged in saltwater, shaped by early mornings and sealed with a shared love of the ocean.