Courtesy of ITV Patagonia, Strait of Magellan, Chile.
Every time Liz Fry gets in the water, she impresses everyone in the world.
This time, the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Famer did not even have to finish.
The Honour Swimmer explained, “I had a successful swim’ however, I did not complete the Strait of Magellan. After 50 minutes I pulled myself out as I did not know my limit. I was cold and was having difficulty focusing.
I was more that three-quarters of the way and maybe I could have push it through, but I did not know. I came to this beautiful place with very little acclimation and no extreme cold water experiences. My goal was to try to put a toe in and support Madhu Nagaraja and my fellow swimmers. I found myself enjoying our training swims, each day spending more and more time in the icy (almost) waters.
I started the swim as a great challenge and with confidence that success may be possible. So it was not today, but I will leave Chile with my head up high and with the greatest admiration for Madhu and Michelle Macy who have joined an elite group.*
No words can express my gratitude to R Cristian Vergara and Julieta Núñez Gundlach for including me in this fantastic journey. A special shoutout to my big sister Peggy F Gaskill who continues to watch out for her little sister and picking her up when she falls down.”
* The following swimmers have successfully crossed the Strait of Magellan: Lynne Cox (USA in 1976), Victor Contreras (Chile in 1981), Pedro Ordenes (Chile in 1999), Gustavo Oriozabala (Argentina in 2001), Julieta Nuñez (Chile in 2007 and 2009), Rachel Golub (USA in 2009), Cristian Vergara (Chile in 2009), Scott Lautman (USA in 2009), Mark Lautman (USA in 2009 wetsuit), Ryan Stramrood (South Africa in 2011 and 2012), Kieron Palframan (South Africa in 2011 and 2012), Toks Viviers (South Africa in 2011 and 2012), Andrew Chin (South Africa in 2011 and 2012), Rafal Ziobro (Poland in 2011), Ram Barkai (South Africa in 2012), Randy Perkins (USA in 2013), Hunter Wright (USA in 2014), Jaimie Monahan (USA in 2017), and Ranie Pearce (USA in 2017).
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