Cape Town - Strong onshore winds and high rollers pushed Kim Prytz away from her destination as she attempted a 20.5km swim from Melkbostrand to Robben Island on Thursday morning.
“This was a lesson in learning to go with the flow and not fight the current that is life,” said Prytz, after it was jointly decided by her and the support team to call it a day.
“This is the first time I have voluntarily climbed out of the water, but I spent 1.5 hours in the same spot, and it was just time – I would make the same decision again though.
“As disappointing as it was not to complete this trip, it is in these moments one grows even more, especially when you face a decision by which one can literally live or die.”
Prytz’s swim got off to a windy start as she entered the water at Melkbostrand at 5am for a record setting attempt to be the first person to swim Melkbostrand – Robben Island – Melkbostrand, and to be the first person to swim it with breaststroke.
Having done a previous Melkbostrand to Robben Island swim in six hours, and an 11-hour-long Blouberg-Robben Island-Melkbostrand swim, and a double Robben Island-Blouberg in 10.5 hours, Kim was well-prepared to get stuck into the 20.5Kms, 12-hours it had expected her to take.
At five hours and 20 minutes on Thursday, a message came through from the support boat to say she was looking strong and comfortable with only 4.6km to go to the island, but an hour and a half later, she still had 4.4km to go with the current pushing her back at every stroke.
“I’m not beaten, but more determined than ever to complete this, but the next time I hope it’s more of a swim instead of a push against the force of nature and going nowhere slowly.”
Of the support from her crew, family, friends and the public since the news of her swim became news, she said: “I am so grateful to be able to do what I do but even more so, knowing that I have the encouragement of others behind me, and I would like to thank everyone.”
Further details on the next attempt will be issued next week.
Cape Times