LIVE DEEPLY, TREAD LIGHTLY
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51
Gosh, this last week feels like it was long ago, although I fear I may have skipped a week?! Anyway, if I did, I apologise, I blame it on the travelling, possible jet lag and distraction of being in a foreign country with a very different concept of time and routine!...
The swim
The sand is so warm and Sarah and I lie down and soak up the final rays of sun trying to calm the nerves and not think too much about what lies before us. John busies himself prepping our dinner and what we need to get ready for the start. Sunset is beautiful. Once it...
Prowess
What could possibly speak more for man’s prowess as an athlete than the ability to master earth’s most abundant, most powerful element- WATER This is my quote for this week. I love it because it speaks about the challenges of open water swimming. But I don’t believe...
Aliwal Shoal solo swim
Yesterday I got to tick another big box. I have been dreaming of swimming to Aliwal shoal for over a year now since I was trying to look for some unique training swims to help prepare me for my big Ka’iwi channel swim in 50 days time! It never worked out last year...
Dodging blue bottles
We live in a beautiful city. I was doing another ocean training swim the other day and it struck me again how privileged we are to live in this city with easy access to the beach and an incredible outdoor lifestyle. The ocean is warm all year round and still teeming...
Building excitement
This past week I got to speak to Cameron Bellamy who just 3 weeks ago completed the Kaiwi channel crossing. Cameron is an incredible guy who has done more than his fair share of endurance events from cross Atlantic rowing, cross country cycling and is just 2 channel...
Twenty Seven
“To stand in the fire of your deepest fears in passionate pursuit of your highest dreams is to rise to the realm of legends” (Robin Sharma) I was swimming the other day- just fitting in another session; and I realised, I have only twenty seven more phone calls to make...
Robben Island to Oceana training swim
It looked like a perfect day. The water was clear, clean and reflective. The sky was overcast, keeping in a little warmth and there was no wind. Not what we had anticipated and not what I signed up for. I had planned to do a training swim in Cape Town under certain...
When preparation meets opportunity
The last few weeks have been a fluctuation of emotional and physical challenges. I came off a high from a good solid block of training straight into hitting a physical wall. After 2 weeks of rest and medication, I still wasn’t getting better. I have since been through...
Lake Eland 10th swim
This last weekend I participated in my second Lake Eland 3km swim. The venue is by far the best fresh water swimming venue I have raced in to date. It is surrounded by a gorge and stunning landscape littered with trees and wildlife. We spotted a few impala, wildebeest...
The joy of the Lord is my Strength- 40
If something burns your soul with purpose and desire, it’s your duty to be reduced to ashes by it, Any other form of existence will be yet another dull book in the library of life - Charles Bukowski On Friday it was 40 weeks till I attempt my channel crossing. That is...
Night swimming- A little bit of heaven mixed with a LOT of cold
This past weekend I had an incredible opportunity to do some night swimming. The camp was organised by Derrick & Debbie Frazer- an incredible couple who have great experience navigating swimmers in and around the Cape Town waters doing water safety and seconding...
Whales
Last week was a pretty big week on many fronts. Besides work being busier than average, lots of stuff was happening in my personal life (good stuff) and then I was given an official date for my Hawaii channel crossing next year. On the same day that the date was...
Ticking boxes
I did a strength finders test a few years ago to help me gain some perspective and direction in my life. One of my strengths is ‘achiever’ this means that I like to have goals. They can be as small as ticking off boxes on a to-do list for the day or bigger more life...
Unsung heroes
The Olympics have come and gone and life continues as it always done. There are a few stand out athletes from the games in various sports and from various countries, but most of the athletes that competed have come and gone and left unnoticed. These athletes have not...
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