Extreme athletes complete 200km swim

Andrew Chin and Toks Viviers

Chin and Viviers began swimming down the Wilge River at Harrismith on 5 January and completed 200km on Wednesday morning, a short distance from Frankfort.

The two said they had suffered from upset stomachs, nausea and vomiting due to contaminated water and had cuts and bruises from rapids and rocks. Viviers was forced to withdraw temporarily for three days after receiving ten stitches on his face when he swam into a submerged tree.
They were also separated from their support team after stopping short of their destination as night fell one evening. A frantic search ended when they were found several hours later.

Attention on crisis

"We're battered, bruised and exhausted, but we're happy that our first swim has drawn some attention to the water crisis facing South Africa. We're hoping this campaign will lead to action to address contaminated waterways and the impending shortage of clean water," said Chin.

Chin is planning an extreme swim in a major river in each province over the next few years as part of the Rivers for Life campaign, which raises awareness of, and urges action to address South Africa's water crisis. The public can contribute by donating R15 to the cause - SMS the word 'River' to 39116.

The main sponsor, Aqua for Life, has donated ten filtered water systems to disadvantaged communities along the swim route which will each provide safe drinking water for up to 200 children for three to four years.