Cape Town - Popular extreme swimmer and inspirational speaker Ryan Stramrood has broken yet another swimming record.
Stramrood, who is well-known for his creative and extreme swimming challenges, swam 33km across False Bay in the fastest time of 8 hours 39 minutes, beating the previous record of 9 hours and 17minutes set by by Barend Nortjie in March 2007.
According to his team, Stramrood is the sixth solo swimmer to achieve the crossing, which he undertook from Miller’s Point near Simon’s Town to Rooi-Els near Pringle Bay.
“It was a very tough, but a great swim for me,” he said. “I felt strong so I pushed hard, despite it being really rough and the waves side-on. The best part was the relatively warm water. I am so happy that it is done, and to have achieved a record as well.”
For Stramrood, this challenge has been more than two years in the making, with lockdown restrictions on training and lack of access to the ocean hampering his efforts.
He has succeeded in crossing the notorious English Channel and has twice swum across the Straits of Gibraltar from Europe to Africa. He is also a two-time Guinness World Record holder.
“Swimming tests my mind. This swim was about 80% mental and 20% physical. In many ways getting in physical shape was the easy part, however, I had to be dedicated to my goal. I trained really hard and managed to maintain a strong mindset through any obstacle, which is the most important element,” said Stramrood.
In June 2020 Stramrood completed his 109th Robben Island crossing, which broke the record held by Theodore Yach. He has completed the Robben Island swim a further six times since then and is still the record holder at 115 crossings.
“I would like to thank my team, Derrick Fraser, Leigh de Necker, and the team from Big Bay Events. Without their support, boats and meticulous observation, these extreme open water swims would be exponentially more difficult,” he said.
Cape Argus