Courtesy of WOWSA, Huntington Beach, California.
Hardened swimmers from Ireland, Sweden, United States, England, New Zealand, Mexico, Moldavia and now India have accomplished the Oceans Seven.
While each of the Oceans Seven swimmers have fascinating stories along the way to the Oceans Seven achievement, Rohan Dattatrey More‘s journey may be the most likely and most difficult. A native of India who works and trains in Dubai, More may be the most physically unprepared for the cold water channels of the Oceans Seven.
But the software engineer programmed his mind and body in such a way that he became as hardened as his fellow Oceans Seven swimmers: Stephen Redmond (Ireland), Anna-Carin Nordin (Sweden), Michelle Macy (USA), Darren Miller (USA), Adam Walker (UK), Kimberley Chambers (New Zealand), Antonio Argüelles (Mexico), and Ion Lazarenco Tiron (Moldavia/Ireland).
More was both elated and grateful for the 4-year journey. “I swam across the Cook Strait in New Zealand in 8 hours 37 minutes to complete the Oceans Seven. With this accomplishment, I became the first Asian and Indian swimmer to achieve this glory – and world’s ninth person who fulfilled the dream of swimming the Ocean Seven swims.
Thank you very much to all who were part of this journey you made it very easy and helped me in all situations.
Special thanks to David Burke, Nuala Moore, Mayur Gandhare, Ankit Pande, Kranthi Kumar Namburu, Giri, G Rajesh Narayanan, Sam Jones, Antonio Argüelles, Fully Simon, and Dayesh Naik.
And my family who always stood with me in all difficult situations. Thank you very much to Aai, Baba, mama, my wife and my sisters.”
• North Channel between Northern Ireland and Scotland
• Cook Strait between the North and South Islands of New Zealand
• Molokai Channel between Oahu and Molokai Islands in Hawaii
• English Channel between England and France
• Catalina Channel between Catalina Island and the Southern California mainland
• Tsugaru Channel between the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido in Japan
• Strait of Gibraltar between Europe and Africa
It is not an easy journey, physically, mentally, emotionally, financially, professionally or logistically.
But More asked for advice and those around him saw his passion and potential.
More started his marathon swimming career at the age of 11 when he completed a 35 km swim from Dharamtar to the Gateway of India in India in 7 hours 29 minutes. But it was not until he was 28 and working full-time that he began his Oceans Seven journey. Now it is all completed:
#1: English Channel from England to France in July 2014 in 13 hours 13 minutes.
#2: 32.3 km crossing of the Catalina Channel from Santa Catalina Island to the Southern California mainland in October 2014 in 10 hours 17 minutes.
#3: 42 km crossing of the Molokai Channel from Molokai Island to Oahu in October 2014 in 17 hours 28 minutes.
#4: 35 km crossing of the North Channel from Northern Ireland to Scotland in August 2015 in 12 hours 46 minutes.
#5: 19.5 km crossing of the Tsugaru Channel from Honshu to Hokkaido in September 2015 in 10 hours 37 minutes.
#6: 14.4 km crossing of the Strait of Gibraltar from Spain to Morocco in November 2016 in 3 hours 56 minutes.
#7: 23 km crossing of the Cook Strait from North Island to South Island in February 2018 in 8 hours 37 minutes.
More has achieved so much during his career that he was previously inducted in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame as an Honour Swimmer in the Class of 2018 (see here).
An inspiration and an icon in the sport continues to achieve so much More.
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