Eighteen-year-old Amber-Rose Berry from Pringle Bay near Cape Town has made history after becoming the youngest South African woman to swim the English Channel.
English Channel north of Normandy, France [image used for illustrative purposes]/By: Robert Brook/Getty Images
Berry completed the gruelling 33km crossing from England to France on Sunday, 23 August, in an unofficial time of 10 hours and 27 minutes. The result is still awaiting ratification, but the time places her comfortably ahead of the typical 12 to 14 hours taken by swimmers to complete the crossing.
The young swimmer entered the water at Shakespeare Beach in Dover at 5.27am and reached the rocks at Pointe du Riden, near Cap Gris-Nez in France, at 3.54pm.
A demanding crossing
Berry’s achievement came after a difficult swim that saw her contend with cold water, strong currents, jellyfish stings and the wake of a passing ship.
Speaking after reaching France, Berry described the experience as extremely challenging but said the opportunity to complete the crossing and create opportunities for other student-athletes helped drive her forward.
Her mother, Karen, who accompanied her on the escort vessel Sea Leopard, said Berry experienced one of her toughest periods shortly after the halfway mark.
Berry was tired and cold, with a considerable distance still ahead of her. However, her months of preparation and determination helped her continue.
The wake of a passing ship also proved unexpectedly useful, with Karen saying the challenge appeared to give her daughter renewed energy.
Berry trained for months under open-water swimming coach Clinton le Seuer. During the crossing, she relied on regular liquid nutrition, initially feeding every hour before moving to feeds every 30 minutes.
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Another milestone in a record-breaking career
The English Channel crossing is the latest achievement in Berry’s growing open-water swimming career.
At 16, she became the youngest person to complete Cape Town’s 33km False Bay crossing, swimming solo in nine hours and 40 minutes. She completed that challenge without a wetsuit, wearing only a swimming costume and cap.
Her latest accomplishment also has historical significance. Berry’s swim comes 100 years after Gertrude Ederle became the first woman to swim the English Channel in 1926.
It also took place during South Africa’s Women’s Month, which commemorates the 1956 Women’s March against the country’s discriminatory pass laws.
Berry’s achievement places her alongside another South African Channel swimmer, Otto Thaning, who became the oldest person to complete the crossing when he swam it at the age of 73 in 2014.
Swimming for a bigger cause
Berry’s Channel challenge was not solely about setting a personal milestone. She also used the swim to raise money for student-athletes.
More than $7,000 has been raised through a campaign supporting the Ukukhula Institute in Makhanda. The initiative aims to provide scholarships for disadvantaged student-athletes from Eastern Cape high schools to attend Rhodes University.
The campaign, titled Believe in What You Can Achieve, reflects the broader purpose behind Berry’s challenge: using an extraordinary sporting achievement to help create opportunities for young athletes.
With her 10-hour-27-minute crossing still awaiting official ratification, Berry has already secured her place in South African open-water swimming history.
Source: IOL News
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