Courtesy of Lexie Kelly, WOWSA, South Africa.

Brent Szurdoki, representing South Africa and the Waterborn Swimming Club, has enjoyed a great career in the pool, racing at the Commonwealth Games in Australia, the FINA World Swimming Championships in Budapest in 2017, and the 2016 FINA World Short-Course Championships.

But today, he had his only second taste of the open water when he won Heat 3 of the aQuellé Midmar Mile in Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.

Two weeks ago, he won the 14-30 year 200m event at Lake Heritage Water Festival in 14:32. “My favorite thing about open water swimming is that anyone can do it. It’s open to everyone in the family and we don’t find that in pool swimming.”

He has been training 24 hours a week (12 x 2-hour sessions) in preparation of his first aQuellé Midmar Mile. After looking good and feeling good today, he will compete in the elite men’s heat tomorrow against the 7-time champion Chad Ho and American Olympian Alex Meyer of the United States.

Follow his aquatic adventures @szurbrent.

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