CAPETONIAN marathon swimmer, musician and mother-of-three, Carina Bruwer, is planning on attempting a 21km swim across the Bay from the beach front (Pollock Beach or Hobie Beach), to Coega Harbour, in aid of charity.
The ultra-distance swim attempt is planned for Friday, February 28, with February 29 and March 1 being standby dates in case of unfavourable conditions.
The swim will raise funds for the NPO, Muzukidz, an organisation that offers underprivileged children the opportunity to learn how to play the violin.
If successful, Bruwer will be the first woman and second person to reach this milestone, a swim that she has had her sights on for many years.
“Crossing Nelson Mandela Bay has been on my bucket list for longer than I can remember,” Bruwer said.
“I just never quite got round to it but now that Muzukidz opened a branch in Port Elizabeth, the time has certainly come!”
Local sports company, Adventure Swims ZA, will oversee the crossing and provide support in the form of two boats and a team consisting of pilots and a rescue swimmer, as well as a paramedic. The Port Authority, NSRI, KB Surf Lifesaving and Guardmed will also be on standby.
The boats will be equipped with shark shields, whilst the crew will also be responsible for spotting for sharks throughout her swim, which is expected to take anything between five and seven hours, depending on the conditions.
Bruwer, an open water swimming veteran whose resumé includes numerous records and iconic crossings such as the English Channel, False Bay, the Gibraltar Straits, and dozens more, will be facing quite a few challenges during the swim.
Apart from the distance, unpredictable currents, wind, rough water, shipping lane activity and ocean life are some of the main obstacles.
“I am feeling fit and looking forward to spending time in the ocean,” the 40-year-old said.
Bruwer founded Swim For Hope in 2014 as a fund-raising platform through which open water swimmers can dedicate a solo or group swim to a worthy South African cause. Since its inception, Swim For Hope has raised over R600 000 for different charities.
The project’s current beneficiary is Muzukidz, which after five years of working exclusively in Cape Town, has now also opened a branch in Nelson Mandela Bay.
Operating from Settlers Park Primary in Walmer, Muzukidz has one teacher in the Bay, who has taken 50 young children from townships in and around the metro under her wing. Children are taught at no cost to the families and Muzukidz relies solely on external funding to cover costs for teachers, instruments and teaching material.
The organisation hopes to be able to appoint a second teacher and reach 150 children by mid-2020.
