Ocean is swimmer’s happy place

“IT’S my happy place” – that’s being in the ocean for South African swimmer and environmentalist Sarah Ferguson.

To raise awareness of the massive pollution of the world’s oceans, a docu-series of her daunting 100km marathon swim from Ponta Dobela, Mozambique, to Sodwana Bay, on the KwaZulu-Natal north coast, in July was released this week.

In 2017, Ferguson, 36, who lives in Durban North, swam Kai’wi Channel off Hawaii – the first woman from Africa to do so – and it was the preparation for that which laid the foundation for this year’s challenge along the Elephant Coast.

“I did a huge amount of training for the Hawaii swim, an 18-hour non-stop swim, while this was a staged swim which took place over six days and was much harder.

“I chose the swim from Mozambique because it was local and much of it in Marine Protected Areas. Along the iSimangaliso Wetland Park beaches, there were clean-ups clearing the plastic litter every day.

During her six-day swim, she completed up to 18km daily, and while she had to combat winds and currents, Ferguson described it as an amazing experience.

She is already planning another swim next year, but the details are still under wraps.