The Wild Swim is scheduled to take place in five stages between April 26 - May 2, with swimming only taking place in favourable and clear sea conditions.
For safety reasons the pilot swim has been restricted to ten open water swimmers who will be accompanied by safety kayakers, two safety boats, a jetski rescue operator and a small pod of experienced Ocean Guardian divers equipped with Freedom7 shark shields – the world’s only scientifically proven electrical shark deterrent. Associated aerial surveillance and HD drone footage is to be provided by renowned adventure sports cameraman and safety officer, Gordon Date, who is directing the safety team in association with Med-Evac, the NSRI and SAPS.
Accommodation is to be provided to the swimmers and the safety team at community-owned homestays along the route.
The ten pioneering Wild Swimmers venturing into these relatively uncharted and sharky waters are:
Tony Sellmeyer, former Marathon runner turned open water endurance swimmer and veteran of more than 50 Robben Island Crossings
Andrew Chin, one of five South African swimmers who were first in the world to swim around the Icy Waters of Cape Horn
Mike Loewe, the night news editor at Daily Dispatch.
Brad Ray, the founder of the Kydrin Foundation.
Mervyn Bremner, co-founder of the 8 Mile Club.
Marcelle Webber, aka Splash, a renowned South African sprint and long distance swimmer.
Craig Bishop, a Cape Town based journalist keen to also tackle the Robben Island Channel Swim.
Stan Kozlowski, the founder of the 8 Mile Club.
Abigail Ray, a former East Coast dee-jay who traded in a life behind the mic for swimming costumes, caps & swimming flippers.
Fred Kockott, the founding director of Roving Reporters, who sparked this all.
+3 reserve swimmers (To be announced)
FEATURED IMAGE: Marcelle Webber aka Splash, who recently won three gold medals at the International Ice Swimming Championships in Murmansk, Russia, is among the pilot pod of Wild Swimmers.
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overall progress
raised R35 440,00 goal R50 000,00| Name | Message | Donation |
|---|---|---|
| John Dickerson | R500 | |
| Ruth Leverton | Thank you for caring for one of the most beautiful and vulnerable coastlines on the planet. Swim safe | R200 |
| Jenny hawke | A GREAT effort both by Kim and team AND Margie | R500 |
| Matthew Croudace | R400 | |
| Georgina | Wild swim | R500 |
| Kim Hawke | Ready for the next one! Let's keep swimming. | R500 |
| Chris Fourie | R500 | |
| Andrew | For Xolobeni community who show courage and passion. | R500 |
| Stan Kozlowski | Well done Andrew Chin and friends of the Wild Swim on your support swim from Cape Point to Simonstown. Proud of you all. ❤ | R1 000 |
| Neil Hopkins | R500 | |
| Jeanne Topliss | Greatness never comes from inside your comfort zone | R500 |
| Katherine Persson | R500 | |
| Matthew Croudace | R100 | |
| Monika Hayes | Thanks for the invite Andrew. See you at the Wild Swim 😊 | R500 |
| Neale Campbell | Well done Andrew! Yet again another great event on your part. | R150 |
| AMJ ELECTRICAL SERVICES | R500 | |
| Gordon Greaves | Proceeds from the sale of my famous Gordon's Verrückte Gurken pickles at Hot Choc swim group this morning. Hope to keep doing more of this! | R500 |
| Craig Doonan | On behalf of Andrew Chin | R1 000 |
| Chris Wilson | Good luck for a good cause! | R200 |
| Ann Gray | Wishing all the swimmers everything of the best for your Wild Swim. You are doing it for amazing cause. | R200 |
| Lynette | R250 | |
| Mandy Uys | Love the Wild Ones | R250 |
| Ryan | Thanks for you work on this Andrew | R250 |
| Martin Godfrey | All the best to my 8 Mile chums Mervyn & Stan. This is a great initiative. I’ll be with you in spirit. | R500 |
| G P Symons | R1 000 | |
| Chris Laubscher | Great cause, well done and good luck Andrew! | R350 |
| Kim Hawke | Thank you for bringing awareness to the preservation of this awesome part of the world. | R500 |
| Jen Pike | Go swimmers _great initiative | R100 |
| Karin Solomon | Good luck, Wild Swim pioneers. | R250 |
| Desmond Thompson | Happy to support you, boet | R100 |
| Linde law | Proud of you guys, Chinnie q | R500 |
| SuperWoman | Go Andrew Go! | R200 |
| Stephen Meltz | Keep on keeping on the good work | R380 |
| Sarah Pinchuck | How very noble of you Craig! Best of luck x | R100 |
| Aseem Kumar | Brilliant | R750 |
| Emile and Georgette | Good luck wishes from Luxembourg | R500 |
| Craig Bishop | R1 000 | |
| Rajarshi | All the best guys. | R50 |
| Eric & Wendy Bothma | Well done, have a good swim | R500 |
| Heidi Pilz | Go Fred Go. Help save our precious wild land that must stay this way forever | R100 |
| Rose Lowry | Good luck | R100 |
| Jessica Bothma | Go Fred! | R100 |
| Mathy Franco Joffe | All the best to the swimmers! | R100 |
| Sonya Schoeman | Get ahead of the sharks. | R100 |
| Rolfe | R500 | |
| The Human Elephant Foundation | Delighted to be able to assist with what is a great cause in every way. | R10 000 |
| Sam Small | R50 | |
| Diricilla Naidoo | All the very best Irma. | R100 |
| Timothy Houghton | go Fred and co. Good on you guys! | R300 |
| Robin and Debbie Gracie byron and Rowan Bromham | Good luck | R200 |
| Gavin Pike | Safe swimming and thanks for bringing positive action and awareness to the issues we face along our beautiful coastline! | R500 |
| Bridget Murphy | Be safe, Fred and best of luck. | R250 |
| Abraham | For the people of Xolobeni.Swim well,one stroke at the time | R100 |
| Garth Hey | Looks like it would also make a great hike! Good luck Andrew! | R300 |
| Nancy | Good luck folks! Next time I'll join you ;-) | R100 |
| Andrew | helping people help themselves and protecting the enviroment, worth supporting | R360 |
| Gail Miller | R150 | |
| Jacqui Carrara | Irma Wilson | R50 |
| Oceans Not Oil | Behind you all the way. | R1 000 |
| Teresa Rube | The Wild Swim fundraising drive - for pledge by Dharmagiri Sacred Mountain Retreat (Penny-Jane) | R50 |
| Marissa | Dankie | R50 |
| Victoria Nance | R50 | |
| Cheryl D Spensieri | Keep up the great work, Irma! | R500 |
| Claire | Hope this one goes through! Good luck | R250 |
| Anton Krone | Great to see this. | R200 |
| Steve collins | R100 | |
| Belinda Leontsinis | R50 | |
| paul Pereira | R200 | |
| Barbara | Well done Mervyn | R500 |
| Trevor Miller | Marcella good to see you again even if it's a picture... It sounds like you are really testing boundaries... love cousin Trevor | R300 |
| Tony Bath | Good luck, have a good swim. | R250 |
| Laurence Dworkin | A very very worthy cause! | R500 |
| Mike Loewe | I can do it! Blrbl blrbl blrbl! I can do it! | R100 |
| Jennifer Thord-Gray | Good luck! | R100 |
| Joseph Coy | Best wishes Mervyn | R500 |
| Thandi Davies | Thank you for representing and putting a voice to what we believe in! | R250 |
| Friends of Roving Reporters | Go Fred and his merry band of wild swimmers! | R250 |
The Wild Swim takes place along a 22km stretch of the Wild Coast earmarked for heavy minerals mining. It aims to raise funds for eco-tourism in the area, marine conservation and associated environmental journalism training.