Capetonian Ryan Stramrood, renowned extreme swimmer and global speaker, has achieved an extraordinary milestone by becoming the first person to conquer the Big 5 Swims in Western Cape waters.
Stramrood’s journey began with a personal challenge to conquer the Robben Island Crossing, a 7.3km swim from Robben Island to Blouberg.
Completing this swimming challenge opened new horizons for him, leading to even greater aspirations and accomplishments in the open water.
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The Big 5 Swims, a challenging series of five demanding open-water swims, was conceptualised by Derrick and Debbie Frazer of Big Bay Events.
This initiative aims to inspire South African swimmers to push their limits beyond conventional open water challenges. The swims include The Leopard (Cape Point – 8km), The Cape Buffalo (Dassen Island – 11km), The Rhino (RI West Coast Angle – 18km), The Elephant (Double Langebaan Express – 24km), and The African Lion (False Bay Crossing – 33km).
Ryan Stramrood secured his place in swimming history by completing the RI West Coast Angle in February, an 18km swim from Blouberg Beach to the northern tip of Robben Island.
This challenging route requires navigating icy waters and unpredictable conditions.
Stramrood’s swimming resume is filled with remarkable achievements, including participation in the World First USA to Russia Relay in 2013 and the World First Official Ice Mile in Antarctica in 2014.
In 2021, he shattered the record for the 33km False Bay Crossing, completing it in an impressive 8 hours and 39 minutes.
With over 140 Robben Island Crossings under his belt, Ryan Stramrood continues to inspire aspiring open water swimmers to reach beyond their perceived limits.
‘The point at which your body tells you “no more” is usually far from it. We can all discover just how much we are capable of by pushing past what we perceive as impossible,’ he says.