The mental and physical challenge, the beauty of an island reef, the uncontrolled environment,the disconnect from a digital world, the people, the outcome.

After a 4am start, with my wonderful wife, we met up with my sister Vanessa and her husband Bruce (Rowdy) at Brisbane airport. We all then flew to the coastal city of Gladstone in central Queensland, where we caught the large catamaran ferrying us to Herron Island some 70 kilometres off the Australian mainland coast. Herron is an island with a three kilometre circumference which is then surrounded by a reef. This is part of the southern end of the Great Barrier Reef.

In its fifth year is the Great Barrier Reef Ocean Swim. Two swim events are held within the waters of Herron Island. Encompassing a one kilometre ocean swim and the main event – three kilometres around the island. Prior to these events is a one kilometre “swim back” mainly to determine all swimmers ability to complete (and survive) and acquaint all competitors with this ocean environment. Basically you are dropped in the ocean about one kilometre from the finish point.

I found both the swim back and the one kilometre event quite challenging, with choppy windy conditions along with a swirling current in the first couple of hundred metres of the swim back, this was certainly not typical of all the utopian pictures of the wonderful aqua blue waters that are calm and so beautifully enticing in this part of the world. Or so my misguided pre conceptions suggested.

Though successfuly completing both the one kilometre events, if these conditions prevailed, I was questioning my ability both mentally and physically to complete the three kilometre swim the next day  – not much fun going on in my head at this point to say the least.

You know when you find yourself in a place where the romantic, adventure mind set that brought you here in the first place starts to fade into the reality of the challenge you are now facing. When you are seriously asking yourself about your own sanity in “what was I thinking ?” The ocean is a totally uncontrolled environment – you fool !!!
So after much self induced torment and soul searching and encouraged by the motivational talk from others I was going to at least have a go. If my sister was doing it then I had no choice. Strangely, she had dreams of actually beating me at some stage and the three kilometre swim was her last chance.

I recall the best and memorable comment coming from Peter who ironically beat me by a mere 3 seconds after quite a strategic fox like move at the last turn. “The biggest challenge is in the 6 inches between your ears”. This from a man who has swum from Alcatraz Island to the mainland across San Francisco bay. So Im thinking – mmmmmm – not sure about the sanity in doing that swim either !!! But I got the message Peter was delivering as he walked away somewhat reminding me of the nutty professor.

D-Day arrived !!!

Would you believe a glorious day opened up to a world with superb conditions for the three kilometre swim. Those aqua blue waters with black tip reef sharks, turtles, manta rays, fish of such beautiful colours and coral reefs were on display for the privileged gathered swimmers. I do have to admit, I did actually say a quick prayer the night before to the big man upstairs and he delivered !!
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I successfully made it in just over 41 minutes with my sister pressing hard some 17 seconds behind. Maybe next time sis ?We came ! We saw! We conquered !! (In my little mind anyway). Wow, sensational stuff and a pleasure to of been a part of this swim event.

But this is just one aspect.
The wonderful and at times extraordinary inspirational and motivational commitments. The people gathered who had swum the English Channel, the Dardanelles, the Gibraltar Straight and of course Alcatraz. But I won’t forget in a hurry the scene of Brett, who when on dry land is usually reliant on his wheelchair, entered the one kilometre event. Shadowed by his son Hugh, Brett successfully completed the one kilometre event in trying conditions to be then piggy backed out of the shallows by Hugh to receive his official time at the Marshall’s desk. What couragous guys, such a bond and never say die attitude. Something that made my decision a lot easier in doing the 3 kilometre event – I salute you!

If you are thinking about it   Get training and do it, you won’t regret it.  

RD.