Adam Walker became the first British male to complete a crossing of the 19.7 km Tsugaru Channel in Japan with today’s 15 hour 31 minute traverse from Honshu to Hokkaido.

Walker has now completed 5 of the 7 channels of the Oceans Seven: English Channel, Strait of Gibraltar, Molokai Channel, Catalina Channel, and now the Tsugaru Channel.

Mad Adam, as he is alternatively known, was escorted by Captain Mizushima who had to fight adverse currents most of the way. “After 10 hours, he was tired of course, but he kept on fighting with the waves and current. But he was patient and looked strong throughout.”

“I must be honest, this swim was the hardest to date. I had to do regular sprints like interval training all the way across when given the signal from the pilot and the waves were relentless. At one stage the ways were so bad I could barely swim and was just ducking under them for an hour and a half. Even at the end when I had a mile to go it pushed me back to 2 miles. Then I had 1 mile to go and it pushed me sideways before finally letting me in. I had two separate occasions when a shark swam underneath me but still have all limbs so all good.”

It was a test like Walker had never taken before. But he passed successfully. “This tested me to the limit no doubt. The waves were rough all the way through and having to do interval sprints frequently through the swim burnt a lot of energy but it was necessary to beat the current. Even when I could see land, I got hit with waves that through me around like a rag doll. When we were through them and I had a mile to go, I got pushed back another mile. Then I got pushed sideways. I thought the Molokai Channel tested me to the limit, getting stung and pushed along the coast for 6 hours. But this was worse. It took everything I had.”

And now he remains on track to become the first British man to complete the Oceans Seven.

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