Robert Woodhouse (Australia, 58, MSF bio here, World Aquatics bio here) has spent decades around the pool deck, as a 1984 and 1988 Olympian and bronze medalist, Olympic commentator at the 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016 and 2020 Games, administrator, agent, CEO of Swimming Australia, and uncle to accomplished Olympic swimmers, but over the last few years, he has spent a significant time in the open water.

He has completed the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming and is now one 19.5 km channel crossing away from achieving the Oceans Seven.

• 2022: swam the 33.5 km English Channel from England to France in 10 hours 45 minutes
• 2023: swam the 14.4 km Strait of Gibraltar from Spain to Morocco in 3 hours 18 minutes
• 2023: swam the 34.5 km  North Channel from Northern Ireland to Scotland in 9 hours 48 minutes
• 2023: swam the 32.3 km Catalina Channel from Palos Verdes to Catalina Island in 10 hours 14 minutes
• 2023: swam the 45 km Molokai Channel from Molokai to Oahu in 12 hours 15 minutes
• 2024: swam the 23 km Cook Strait from South Island to North Island in 7 hours 0 minutes

At the age of 58, he will have one more crossing – the Tsugaru Channel in northern Japan in the first week July – to achieve the Oceans Seven. He explains his journey below.

Daily News of Open Water Swimming: What prompted you to do your first English Channel crossing in August 2022? 

Robert Woodhouse: I had an interest when I was young in following the achievements of some of Australia’s famous English Channel swimmers, especially Des Renford who at the time was the King of the Channel with the highest number of successful crossings.  In early 2022 I decided to research how to attempt an English Channel swim and what training was required.  After initially booking for a 2023 attempt, I received a call from the pilot in May 2022 offering me a slot in August 2022, so I went for it.

Daily News of Open Water Swimming: You completed 5 channels between April 2023 and January 2024.  Few people (outside of Petar Stoychev and Andy Donaldson) knock off 5 of the 7 Oceans Seven channels in such a short time.  At what point did you tell yourself that you want to complete the Oceans Seven? 

Robert Woodhouse: I had not heard of the Oceans Seven until I met Andy Donaldson a week after we both had successfully swam the English Channel.  He was visiting his hometown of West Kilbride on the west coast of Scotland, which coincidentally is where I was living.  Talking to Andy about his ultimately successful quest to complete the Oceans Seven within a year, I started thinking about maybe doing one or two more of the Oceans Seven swims. By January 2024, I’d successfully crossed six of them.

Daily News of Open Water Swimming: Which one of these channel crossings or marathon swims have been the most memorable?  The most difficult?  

Robert Woodhouse: They’ve all been memorable and challenging for many different reasons. The English Channel is probably the most memorable as it was my first open water swim and of course it’s so iconic.  The Molokai Channel was probably the most difficult.  I’d crossed the Catalina Channel just eight days prior and, while I had almost perfect conditions for most of the Molokai Channel swim, I felt really vulnerable at various stages of the swim. 

Daily News of Open Water Swimming: Have you trained for each of these swims the same way or differently (in terms of time in the pool and open water and on dryland)? 

Robert Woodhouse: I trained for 3 months ahead of the English Channel swim, averaging 50 km per week during that time.  60% of my training was in a loch in Scotland, with the other 40% in a pool.  The preparation for the other five swims was pretty similar.  I now live back in Melbourne, Australia and my training for this final swim is quite different.  I’m almost entirely in the pool, averaging 25 – 30 km per week at much higher intensity each session than the previous years.  This final swim is also a six-month preparation, so I expect to be really fit and ready for the Tsugaru Strait in early July.

Daily News of Open Water Swimming: You were world class in your competitive years as a pool swimmer.  Now you are on the verge of completing the Oceans Seven in your late 50’s.  What has changed physiologically and psychologically between those two periods?  

Robert Woodhouse: I’ll be 59 in June and I simply cannot train at the intensity I did when I was in my teens and twenties.  Having said that, I’m probably feeling fitter and healthier now than ever before since my twenties.  Psychologically, there are many parallels between those early days in the pool and now.  The biggest parallel is the process of the journey, it’s all about taking it one training session or one day at a time, setting small goals along the way, trusting your team and celebrating success.  I feel I’ve been enjoying that process a lot more now than I perhaps did as a pool swimmer.  Back then my entire life revolved around my swimming, whereas now my swimming fits around the rest of my life.

Daily News of Open Water Swimming: Have you experienced any DNF’s along the way?  How did you handle those non finishes? 

Robert Woodhouse: No DNF’s. I’ve finished every swim attempted so far.

Daily News of Open Water Swimming: Who have been your escort pilots in each of the Oceans Seven channels?

Robert Woodhouse: English Channel with Fred & Harry Mardle on Masterpiece, Strait of Gibraltar Strait with Cristina Montiel Guzmán on Columba, North Channel with Quinton Nelson on Morning Glory, Catalina Channel with Dave Harvey on Pacific Moon, Molokai Channel with Mike Twigg-Smith on Stellina Mare, and Cook Strait with Grant Orchard on Katabatic.

Daily News of Open Water Swimming: Who has been on your support teams?  Family members, friends, coaches? 

Robert Woodhouse: The best decision I made on signing up for the English Channel attempt was to talk to Tim Denyer at Red Top Swim and then go on their Croatia training camp.  One of the Red Top coaches (Tim, Nils Young and Matt Duggan) have been my support team on each of my swims.  On three of the swims (English, North, Molokai) I’ve also had friends on board providing support which I’ve been incredibly grateful for.

Daily News of Open Water Swimming: Do you have a go-to feeding plan during your crossings?  What works best for you? 

Robert Woodhouse: Red Top devised a feed plan for me ahead of my English Channel attempt.  I tried all the feeds regularly during my training phase to get used to them and have used the same feeding plan for all my swims.  It’s all liquids only, a 30-minute rotating feed plan of electrolytes, isotonic powder, ovaltine/sustagen, ginger cordial, flat coke and energy gels all diluted with water.

Daily News of Open Water Swimming: When you complete the Oceans Seven, what do you expect your emotions will be?  

Robert Woodhouse: I expect I’ll sit back and reflect over a few beers on the whole Oceans Seven journey.  I’ll raise a toast to all the people that supported me, including the amazing and slightly crazy group of ocean swimming friends I’ve met along the way.  I’ll be really proud to complete the Oceans Seven.

Daily News of Open Water Swimming: What lessons have you learned along the way, either about yourself, about swimming, or life in general?  

Robert Woodhouse: The biggest lesson I’ve learned is to enjoy the journey, no matter the result.  My ocean swimming journey has brought me incredible experiences and lifelong friendships with people around the world.  It’s also showed me that that there’s so much more to swimming beyond the black line.

Woodhouse with his fellow Red Top Swimming Club members with Coach Matt Duggan. From left to right: Jamie Mackay, Paul Leonard, Coach Tim Denyer, Coach Matt Duggan, Rob Woodhouse, Zeina Alsharkas, Jo Norman, and Miles Worling.

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