Interview with the Relay Mermaids about their Epic 72 Km Swim Around the Cape Peninsula.

The Relay Mermaids are a team of four excellent swimmers from Cape Town, South Africa, including: Shoneé Cornelissen, Katherine Persson, Eva Dirksen and Georgina Smith. Recently the team completed an unbelievably challenging swim from Fish Hoek in False Bay, around Cape Point through the night, and on to finish in Hout Bay the following afternoon, a distance of 72km. This is an unprecedented swim, considering not just the physical and mental challenge of such a long and arduous journey, but the environmental challenge as well. Cape Town is well known for her fickle weather, and is not called the Cape of Storms for nothing. This swim required the conditions to be perfect on both sides of the Peninsula at the same time, and all four swimmers to be well, fit and ready to go, just as the weather conditions aligned. An unbelievable achievement, that kept swimmers world-wide glued to their tracking apps, as they watched the Relay Mermaids go the distance, through icy, jelly-fish infested waters… a challenging swim indeed.

Tell us about your swim around the Cape Peninsula:

There were so many highlights! Swimming around Cape Point in the dark (the ‘wrong’ way round) was amazing, but also one of the toughest points as there were jellies and almost everyone (including the boat crew) got badly sea sick. But seeing the sun rise once we were past Cape Maclear was very welcome, and of course coming into Hout Bay and seeing so many people there to support us.

Tell us about your swimming journey so far.

We did our first big relay swim as team mermaids a couple of years ago (RI to Dassen Island, ~52km) , and then went on to do a double False Bay relay, which was really tough. I’m not quite sure how we landed upon the idea to try to swim from Fish Hoek to Hout Bay, these ideas just seem to come about and we are an adventurous bunch (also a little bit crazy) and we somehow convinced each other to commit to this one!

What did a typical week of training look like for you in the build up to your swim?

We did a lot of repeat 1hr swims, in for an hour then out and have a rest, then swim again. Rinse, repeat. Some of these sessions were in really cold water, as low as 9 degrees at Kommetjie. We tried to swim together as a team to keep the vibes going, but also did lots of pool swimming on our own to keep the km up. We were on standby for two months, so it was tricky to keep fit, healthy, navigate work and home commitments.

How did you train your mind for such a big challenge?

For this one, we knew what to expect, after having experienced two very big relay swims before. A lot of the mental preparation was around knowing and reminding ourselves that we had trained well (we were better physically prepared as a team than any of our previous swims) and had all of our kit, logistics, gear sorted out and the on-boat routine very slick. We also went together to visit our charity recipient, Leandro, which was a turning point in the mental preparation, and a point where we all committed 100% to taking on the challenge, for Leandro.

What was a setback to your training that you had to overcome?

Endless weeks of bad weather and waiting a long time for a window. We had a couple times when the swim was almost on, then called off. It messes with your head! Overall, finding the conditions for this swim was really difficult, balancing the need for low swell and wind allowing us to swim from Fish Hoek around the point, then almost in the opposite direction from Cape Point to Hout Bay.

What was the biggest challenge during your crossing and how did you overcome it?

Sea sickness, jelly stings and sleep deprivation. To be honest, we just kind of forced our way through it as we were so committed to keeping going.

How did you choose this swim?

We were looking for the next big swim after the double False Bay. It seemed like a good idea, but wow, this is one heck of a swim and we were very lucky to have had the conditions to be able to swim this route!

What did you learn from your swim?

How amazing it is to be part of a team that has worked together so well over multiple big swims, and to feel the power of the team carrying us through the challenge. We also didn’t expect to get such strong support from the swimming community and general public, so I guess it was a pleasant surprise to see how many people came along with us for the journey and backed us.

What would you say to other swimmers wanting to do a huge swim?

Prepare well, seek advice from people that you trust, and follow your dreams.

What is next for you all?

We’ve had a good rest now, and have been taking the swimming easy, doing some other sports for a change to mix it up. No plans for another #relaymermaids adventure as yet, but we have some individual swim plans coming up and who knows what the future will hold…