This year, on 13 April, we were once again involved as a support boat for the Swim for Hope around Cape Point. The swimmers had been on standby for a couple of weeks, dodging bad weather and then the annual Freedom Swim from Robben Island to Big Bay. Two days after the Freedom Swim, the support boats assembled at Miller’s Point to be briefed for the Swim for Hope. Once at Diaz Beach, we had to wait a bit for the mist to lift.
Swim for Hope raises funds for the Little Fighters Cancer Trust. The swim is a significant one, approximately 8 kilometres from Diaz Beach inside the Cape Point Nature Reserve, around Cape Point to Buffels Bay. Our swimmer was Colin Gluch, and he was an absolute hero on the day. The conditions getting off the beach were quite tricky, with swimmers losing caps and goggles, and overall it was a more challenging swim than last year. Many of the swimmers had done a Robben Island swim two days before, which is a very demanding swim in very cold water.
Colin finished in 2h13, an excellent time, and especially given the water conditions and his prior Robben Island swim. I really enjoy being part of this swim, and once again was awed by the efforts and determination of all the participants.
