From left to right, Ram Barkai, Toks Viviers, Ryan Stramrood and Kieron Palframan are shown swimming past Cape Horn, the sailor’s graveyard, at the southernmost tip of South America. The South African swimmers, including fifth teammate Andrew Chin, gave a first-person account of their unprecedented swim here.

“…as we approached the Cape early in the morning, it appeared like a sight from The Lord of the Ring. Sharp rocks emerging from dark waters, covered with fog, no sun and the water looked very cold. The usual chatter and chirping from the team quickly disappeared as nerves set in big time. It is a magnificently petrifying place … read on.”

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