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Cadiz Freedom Swim

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The Cadiz Freedom Swim is an extreme 7,5 km sea swim race from Robben Island to Big Bay, Bloubergstrand, Cape Town, South Africa. It takes place annually close to Freedom Day (27 April, the date of SA’s first democratic elections in 1994 when Nelson Mandela was elected President of South Africa, marking the end of the Apartheid era and the freedom of the people).

File:Cadiz Freedom swim Natalie du toit.jpg
Natilie du Toit completes a 7.5km swim from Robben Island to Big Bay, breaking the record at the Cadiz Freedom Swim 2009
File:Robben Island Freedom Swim.jpg
Robben Island - Cadiz Freedom Swim 2009

The Cadiz Freedom Swim is fast becoming recognised as one of the world’s most extreme and exciting sea races due to the extremely cold Atlantic water (can be as low as 10 degrees Celsius, but averages around 13-14), unpredictable sea and weather conditions, and the presence of Great White Sharks which are common in these waters, but which have never been sighted during the race since its inception.

History

The first officially recorded Robben Island swim happened in 1909 when Henry Charteris Hooper swam from the island to the old Cape Town harbour. It took him 6hrs 65min to swim the distance of about 11 km. Ram Barkai, who holds the record for undertaking the world’s most southerly swim in Antarctica in 2008, began sponsoring an annual Robben Island to Bloubergstrand event in 2007 which is now known as the Cadiz Freedom Swim for the benefit of Vista Nova School. The record for the fastest swim was set in 2005, in a time just over 1 hour 33 minutes, while the record for the most crossings is an incredible 55 times by Theodore Yach. The swim is attempted by people of all ages – the youngest person to complete it being 12 years and the oldest 65 years.

Race route

The 7,5 km passage starts from the shores of Robben Island, once prison home to Nelson Mandela and other South African anti-apartheid activists and leaders. It ends at Bloubergstrand, Big Bay from where the view of Table Mountain stretches out in the distance.

Good Causes

The swim is a charity event that raises money for special needs school Vista Nova. The swim also nurtures disadvantaged swimming talent and develops long distance swimming as a sport in South Africa.

Cadiz

CEO, Ram Barkai of Cadiz, a Financial Services Group runs and sponsors the event. Ram Barkai is a veteren long distance and ice water swimmer who participates in the swim annually and whose passion for swimming has been a major contributer in growing The Cadiz Freedom Swim to what it is today.

References

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