I’ve been waiting for this moment for so long – and now it will be unforgettable: I covered the entire distance between the Hawaiian islands of Molokai and Oahu in 15 hours and 5 minutes. At 47 kilometres, that was the longest swim of my life, making me the first German ever to have mastered this open-water distance. Since it’s considered the toughest in the world, I’m particularly happy about my achievement. I started swimming two hours before sunset, so at least it was still bright at the start. From the beginning I had to face extreme surf waves and very salty water. Hawaii is also known for its dangerous sea creatures: In addition to sharks, it’s home to the Portuguese galley, a jellyfish whose stings can be fatal to humans. The first two hours went by perfectly, but then I got seasick. The strong swells really got to me, so I asked my team for a Coke, although it was actually much too early for sugary drinks. Fortunately, it helped and I felt a bit better for the time being and was able to continue swimming. Finally, the sun began to set slowly and when I saw it disappear on the horizon, I knew, I’d be swimming in complete darkness for the next 10 hours. At that moment I felt pure happiness! The sunset in the middle of the Pacific: it was one of those moments I will keep in my heart forever! Shortly after, it was pitch dark. I kept as close as possible to the kayak, where the Shark Shield has the greatest power. Thanks to its electrical impulses, it has a deterrent effect on sharks. I turned on my back and looked up.
„THE MOST MAGNIFICENT STARS I HAVE EVER SEEN IN MY LIFE WERE SHINING IN THE SKY! IT WAS AN UNBELIEVABLE FEELING OF HAPPINESS.“
Within the next six hours, I made really good progress. However, seasickness continued to cause me problems, so it was tea and coke only for the remaining stretch. The night felt like it would never end, so I was never happier to see the sun rise at six in the morning. At that moment I knew I was going to make it. My arms felt heavier than ever, but I kept swimming. I concentrated on every single arm movement without thinking about the goal or asking how far away it still was. I knew I had to keep going anyway and could hardly believe it when at one point my team told me it was only one more kilometre to go. My coach Adam jumped into the water to swim the rest of the way with me. About 500 metres from the finish, we both got stung pretty badly by a Portuguese Galley. The unbelievable stinging pain completely cut off my air. Nevertheless, I kept swimming – nothing in the world could have stopped me from finishing!
„ARRIVING AT SANDY BEACH IN OAHU, FEELING THE SAND BENEATH MY FEET, WAS A TOTALLY SURREAL FEELING – I KNEW I HAD MADE IT!“
The completion of the Ocean’s Seven has now become more and more tangible: What’s left are the Cook Strait between the North and South Islands of New Zealand and the North Channel between Ireland and Scotland. Without my team, this would never have been possible. I can hardly put into words how happy I am to have these wonderful people by my side. Especially my dad, who taught me to never give up. Life is far too short to think about all the things that can go wrong!
