SWIM AGAINST POLLUTION
RECORD BREAKER: Ecocrusader and endurance athlete Sarah Ferguson, 36, swam with the dolphins off Kings Beach on her recent visit to Port Elizabeth SA endurance swimmer Sarah Ferguson broke a world record in a 65km “Swim Against Plastic” round Easter Island in March. And it was a swim with a purpose, as with every stroke she hoped to raise awareness about the shocking level of pollution in this remote Pacific heritage spot. “It was horrific seeing how much plastic there was. “There were just tons and tons and most of it doesn’t even come from Easter Island,” the Durban-based physiotherapist and ecocampaigner said. “The local people don’t really use a lot of plastic so it brings home the reality of the situation.” Just two weeks before her epic world record feat Sarah was in Port Elizabeth as a high-profile ambassador for SPAR Eastern Cape’s Stop Plastics campaign. Already SPAR has seen the impact of its ongoing campaign with 3 million fewer plastic bags sold over just a few months in 2018 and it has also had a major impact in creating awareness of the problem. And Sarah certainly walks the talk – or, rather, she dives right in and swims it. “Live deeply, tread lightly and follow your passions but be aware of the impact of your actions,” is her mantra. Chile’s Easter Island, or Rapa Nui as the locals know it, is one of the most remote inhabited islands in the world. It’s also a World Heritage Site famous for the stone heads, or moai, that line its coast. Sadly, says Sarah, it has not escaped the blight of plastic pollution. The reason she chose this iconic location for her swim was that it also has an extremely high level of plastic debris. Most of the microplastics that wash up on Rapa Nui beaches come from thousands of kilometres away. Sarah would like to educate people so that they will be more mindful of how they use – and dispose of – plastic in general. “Port Elizabeth is much cleaner than Durban, which is close to a river that washes plastics down to the sea. “However, the plastic on Easter Island beaches is from China and Australia and shows how plastic pollution affects us everywhere.” The Swim Against Plastic Easter Island campaign was her biggest challenge in a water-based career that has included a solo Robben Island crossing as well as a sixday swim down the coast of KwaZulu-Natal. She is also an ambassador for Plastic Oceans International which fights plastic pollution, and founded Breathe Conservation, a non-profit which aims to eliminate disposable plastic.