- Fish Hoek High School teacher Kim Adams successfully completed her first Robben Island Crossing, swimming 7.4 km alongside record-breaking endurance athlete Howard Warrington.
- The swim, held on 1 July, aimed to raise awareness and funds for animal welfare.
- The pair dedicated the effort to the Cape of Good Hope SPCA, highlighting their financial struggles and need for support.
Facing fluctuating water temperatures between 13,6 and 14 °C, Fish Hoek High School teacher Kim Adams set out on her first Robben Island Crossing on Monday 1 July, all in aid of animal welfare.
And with record breaking endurance athlete Howard Warrington at her side to lead the swim, the novice successfully completed the Crossing in two hours and 35 minutes.
Warrington, a Somerset West resident, has reportedly completed the Robben Island Crossing a record 200 times, with his most recent swim on Sunday 23 June in support of the Cape of Good Hope SPCA. He raised R202 438.
The athlete’s 200th swim is pending Guinness World Record adjudication but once verified, Warrington will be the first man to have done this swim 200 times.
Sharing her experience, Adams tells People’s Post it was always a life-long dream to swim the 7,4 km Crossing. “It has been a life-long goal, since my provincial swimming days for Eastern Province in my teens,” she said.
Other swimmers
Her interest in open water swimming was piqued in 2017 after connecting with other swimmers.
“When I started taking an interest in open water swimming, I chatted to other swimmers who had done it and who were preparing to swim it, and I realised I could manage it. But it took some time to get used to open water swimming and to build my confidence,” said Adams.
Questioned on whether it was a challenging swim, Adams said: “We swam through red tide for much of the swim and the current was pushing quite hard from the left for about 2 km, but then it subsided.”
In preparation, Adams said she started practising in earnest from January. “I swim on average three times a week but was able to increase my training during the school holidays,” she said.
Warrington, who holds the Guinness World Record for completing 150 swims from Robben Island to Blouberg, says he has dedicated his life to pushing his physical limits. “As an endurance athlete, I’ve dedicated my life to pushing my physical limits both in water and on land, yet none of my personal challenges come close to the daily struggles endured by countless animals and the efforts of the SPCA to rescue and care for them,” he said.
Grateful
Every day, around 150 animals arrive at the SPCA’s Grassy Park facilities, in desperate need of help.
Cape of Good Hope SPCA spokesperson Belinda Abraham said the SPCA was incredibly grateful for the support. “Last year, our hospital incurred a loss of R5,1 million,” she said. “This level of financial strain is not sustainable and we’re grateful to Howard for pushing himself to his limits, so we never have to reach ours.”
Warrington’s achievements include crossing the English Channel, eight Ironman triathlons, six Comrades marathons, 26 Cape Town Cycle Tours and completing 64 marathons and 243 half marathons.
