Ocean Swimming

She Hoo Must Run has been renamed She Hoo Must Swim!!

Changing her direction from running to open water ocean swimming, 'better on the knees', she says!!

Living in a land locked country we had no idea that ocean swimming was such a big sport, well certainly it is in Australia. Every day hundreds of swimmers take to the ocean and swim for kilometres, sharks and all!!

We watched in awe as She Hoo Must Swim went to qualify for that most majestic of all Ozzie ocean swims - The Rottnest Channel Swim.
Highly regarded worldwide and one of Western Australia's iconic events, the Rottnest Channel Swim is a 19.7km open water swim from Cottesloe Beach to 077 280 3067 Rottnest Island.

Now that a whole heap of swimming, and every year swimmers train and gather for either a solo or team event.

In 2018 an eventful swim was held including a Great White Shark sighting, records broken a boat was sunk and an evacuation was declared. 2019 saw a dedicated helicopter appointed to look out for an sharks in the area.
Although several swimmers had crossed to Rottnest independently starting in 1956 the first official Rottenest Channel swim was held In 1991. There were 44 entires, 16 solo swimmers and sever teams of four. She Who Must Swim first competed solo in 2007 and now next month, thirty years later she will undertake a second solo swim.

Each swimmer has a kayaker to accompany them and a crewed boat to provide food, safely and encouragement.

She Hoo has a personalised Rottnest Swim number plate on her bright orange 'Tank' as she calls her vehicle.There have been very few cancellations of the race under the circumstances, which can include weather, sharks and covid!!

Swimsuit regulations are tough and with her tiny frame there is nowhere to tuck in those notorious foodstuffs all athletes rely on, called Gue, and so her dedicated Mum (me) fashioned an elastic band which can hold a couple of Gues for emergency energy. She calls it her Lucky Lakky!!

The 2025 Rottnest Channel swim has had a request from 4500 swimmers worldwide, but they have to qualify and She Who qualified successfully last Sunday!!
We watched from Zimbabwe at 2 a.m. on Racemap, an amazing App that broadcasts your sports event live to the Internet, smartphones and social media, for athletes, spectators and organisers. You can easily set up your own live tracking for you, your friends or for your sports event. It is not only for swimming but for biking, running, skiing, and all sports events. Ain't technology wonderful!!

However previously we did watch She Hoo live at a qualifier on one of Perth's many magnificent beaches.We were lucky enough to be trusted as 'feeders' during a qualifying swim and following the lead of her very dedicated and long suffering hubby, we stood waist deep in the fairly chilly Indian Ocean with sustenance for our Tiny Girl as she swam a ten kilometre qualifier!!

Please, please God, will you look after our Tiny Girl on February 22 February when she attempts her second Rottnest Channel Solo Swim, the world's largest open water channel swim.