South African Toni Enderli has completed the ‘Everest’ of open water swims—Cook Strait; putting South Africa on the board for his incredible achievement that will also help water-crisis-stricken communities in SA:
Global (21 February 2024) — South Africa’s Toni Enderli has just completed the Cook Strait portion of the Oceans 7 marathon, or as he puts it, ‘a battle against nature’s fury and forgiving New Zealand Waters’.
The fifth and incredibly challenging swim of the Oceans 7, Toni shares that it was a challenge that pushed him to “the very limits of physical and mental endurance.”
Beginning bright and early on Sunday, 18 February, Toni chopped through an even more channelling route for the already tough channel by swimming from the South Island of West Head to the North Island of Karori Rock. To put it into perspective, the Cook Strait swim saw 36 kilometres in rough, 13-degree bone-chilling waters known for strong tides and unpredictable water patterns. In the world of open-water swimming, it has a reputation as one of the toughest water challenges to exist.
In fact, According to the Cook Strait Swim team, “it successfully remains one of the few real ‘Everest Challenges’ left on the planet.”
Toni undertook the task for several reasons, including embracing the legacy of his father and for two charities—Swim for Rivers who work hard to address critical water supply challenges in South Africa, and Sterila’s Mission in Santorina who provide care for stray animals on the island.
“No words can truly capture the mix of emotions and physical strain experienced during those 10 hours and 48 minutes,” he shares.
Explaining the water Everest experience, Toni adds how the power of support pushed him on:
“The journey unfolded in four distinct stages, each presenting its own set of trials and tribulations. From the disorienting chaos of the initial leg to the relentless onslaught of the mighty Cook Strait, every moment tested the bounds of human resilience.
“Yet, amidst the tumult, messages of love and encouragement from cherished family and friends served as beacons of hope, fueling the fire within to press onward. In the heart of adversity, as the ocean threatened to engulf both body and spirit, I unearthed reserves of strength I never knew existed.”
Despite the weather taking a turn for the worst when Cook Strait was about to become a memory, Toni pushed past the winds, currents and underwater volcanic shelf to secure his victory!
The endurance swimmer shared several life lessons from Cook Strait, many of which we thought were too powerful not to share:
- Never Take Things for Granted (nature’s unpredictability demands respect)
- Assumptions Can Break You (stay adaptable; assumptions can be your downfall)
- You Have More in Your Tank (when you think you’re depleted, you’ve only just begun)
- Great Things Come with Large Effort (Nothing worthwhile is easily attained)
- Surround Yourself with the Right Crew (A supportive team makes all the difference).
What a phenomenal achievement!
Sources: Toni Enderli
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