Amy Thompson, Sarah Johnstone, Emily Seymour, Hugh Cumming and Austin Whayman have built a dynasty in Fiji by winning the Fiji Swims 19K relay challenge five years in a row.
The young quintet of Australia swimmers from Queensland pioneered the fastest swam to swim a relay years ago in the South Pacific. Instead of the traditional 30 minute or 1-hour legs for their swimmers, the Queensland team started to swim in micro increments – as short as 1-2 minutes before switching off with their teammates.
It has been a strategy that has held off all-comers, from teams with Olympic swimmers to masters teams from Asia to the Americas.
In addition to the open water stars from Queensland, Fiji Swims has attracted Olympic stars like fellow Australian Shane Gould, Americans Natalie Coughlan and Dana Volmer, and Rebecca Perrot and Danyon Loader of New Zealand. With heartfelt hospitality by race founder David Handley, spot-on ocean safety provided by transported Australian lifeguards, crystal clear warm tropical waters for a multi-race event spread over 3 days, there is every reason why Fiji Swims is one of the world’s top open water swims.
Gorgeous waters and stunning coral make Fiji a real-world aquarium with white sandy beaches as its borders with Denarau Island’s Sofitel Fiji Resort & Spa as the start of the 19K race. The course weaves its way through the islands – some inhabited, others not – to Beachcomber Island. Amy, Sarah, Emily, Hugh and Austin finished in a record time of 3 hours 34 minutes.
“We thoroughly enjoyed every moment of participating in this rewarding and challenging event. The organization of the swim was on par with some of the most popular ocean swims in Australia, and the safety was of the highest possible standard provided by North Bondi SLSC stalwart Raille Galgut,” summed up manager Fred Goddard. “We are leaving with memories that will last a lifetime.
The Fiji Swims also helps to bring profile to the Shane Gould Swim Project in Fiji, which works to prevent drowning in Fiji through increasing education in swimming and awareness of their natural aquatic environment. On top of all the fun, it was a very rewarding feeling to know that we were giving something back to the Fiji people through the Shane Gould’s project by promoting something that we all love.”
Copyright © 2011 by Open Water Source