On a beautiful Saturday morning, over 300 swimmers will gather at Durban Beach Club to participate in the Ardagh Glass Packaging World Oceans Day Swim. This event is not just an ordinary open-water race, as it holds a deeper purpose, which is to be part of the global movement against pollution and to strive for cleaner oceans.
The Purpose Behind World Oceans Day Swim
Durban-based endurance swimmer Sarah Ferguson is the driving force behind this event. The World Oceans Day Swim offers various distances to cater to all swimmer types, from elite swimmers vying for titles in the 5km, 3.2km, 1.6km, or 800m races to those who wish to contribute to the cause.
Ferguson emphasizes the importance of raising awareness for plastic pollution. As a passionate advocate for ocean conservation in KwaZulu-Natal, she created the event to help create awareness about why we must protect the oceans. As a swimmer, she wants to raise awareness for her sport, but she also thought it would be fun to offer a longer swim in honor of World Oceans Day.
The Event’s Purpose
All proceeds from the event will support Ferguson’s foundation, Breathe Conservation. The organization’s mission is to eliminate plastic pollution in the ocean, and through events like the World Oceans Day Swim, they hope to inspire change.
The Competitors
While the central aim of the event is to raise awareness, there will undoubtedly be fierce competition in all four distances. The women’s 5km race will feature Ferguson herself, a former competitive swimmer who now focuses on record-breaking swims for conservation causes. She will face tough competition from teenager Mykae Forrest and Rebekah Olivier, a potential dark horse for the title.
In the men’s 5km race, 21-year-old Matthew Pelser is predicted to be the one to beat. Clifton schoolboy Damian Angel and Levi Scott are expected to challenge Pelser, with Kai Forrest possibly springing a surprise. The 3.2km women’s race will likely see a three-way battle between Bailey Forrest, Tayla Bruce, and Jadyn-Lee Joubert.
The Race Details
Swimmers will start their races from 7 am, with registration beginning at 5.30 am and race briefings taking place at 6.45 am. The 800m and 1.6km events will involve one lap, with all races commencing just south of uShaka Pier and finishing on the same beach, further south. The 3.2km swim will consist of two laps of the 1.6km course, while the 5km swimmers will complete one long lap to a turning point near New Pier, followed by a second lap of the 1.6km course.
The Ardagh Glass Packaging World Oceans Day Swim combines the thrill of open-water swimming with a crucial environmental cause. Supporting events like these and organizations such as Breathe Conservation will help the public contribute to the fight against plastic pollution and work towards a cleaner, healthier ocean. To learn more about Breathe Conservation, visit breatheconservation.org.
