“Success in the Channel is not about conquering the water, but about conquering yourself.”

I grew up surrounded by sport and by stories of the English Channel. My grandfather, Des Renford, became one of Australia’s greatest marathon swimmers, completing 19 Channel crossings in 19 attempts. My uncle, Michael ‘Murph’ Renford, carried that tradition forward and completed the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming in 2011.

Their achievements made the extraordinary feel possible, but my own journey into marathon swimming came later. What began as a deeply personal connection to my family’s history gradually became a challenge in its own right, one that demanded patience, consistency and a willingness to become comfortable with discomfort.

The English Channel

On 28 August 2024, I entered the water at Samphire Hoe and, 12 hours and 7 minutes later, reached France. I had swum approximately 40.4 kilometres and become the 2,584th person, 293rd Australian and third Renford to complete the English Channel.

Becoming the first third-generation swimmer to cross the English Channel was an enormous privilege. It honoured a family tradition, but it also taught me that these swims are never truly solo achievements. Coaches, training partners, pilots, crew, medical support, friends and family are present in every stroke.

A continuing journey

Since the Channel, I have completed the 34-kilometre Derwent River Big Swim and continued to explore the limits and rewards of marathon swimming. I also serve as President of Marathon Swimming Australia, supporting the recognition, history and development of the sport in Australia.

Away from the water, I have spent my professional life leading sporting organisations. Those two parts of my life continually reinforce the same lesson: meaningful achievements are rarely the result of a single moment. They are built through people, purpose and consistent effort over time.

Like every major swim, the goal is simple to describe and considerably harder to deliver: Prepare thoroughly, trust the team and keep moving forward; one feed and one stroke at a time.

The next chapter

I am often asked what comes after Manhattan. The honest answer is that I plan in years rather than in swims, and that each one has to earn its place — against the training it demands, against the people who give up their time to make it possible, and against a life that does not pause while I am in the water.

2026 — Manhattan

On 10 October I will attempt the 20 Bridges Swim, 45.9 kilometres around Manhattan Island. It would be my second leg of the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming, after the English Channel. Like every major swim, the goal is simple to describe and considerably harder to deliver: prepare thoroughly, trust the team and keep moving forward, one feed and one stroke at a time.

2027 — Port to Pub then Catalina

Two swims, and potentially the year in which I complete both the Australian Triple Crown of Marathon Swimming and the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming.

In March I return to Western Australia for the 25 kilometre Port to Pub, from Fremantle across to Rottnest Island. It is the one I have left in the Australian Triple Crown, alongside Palm to Shelly and the Derwent River Big Swim.

Later in the year, the Catalina Channel: 32 kilometres from Santa Catalina Island to the Californian mainland, starting close to midnight to stay ahead of the afternoon wind. Catalina would complete the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming - the same three swims Murph completed in 2011.

2028 — Cook Strait

I am thinking about something closer to home. The Cook Strait is 23 kilometres between the North and South Islands of New Zealand, and by reputation it is less a test of distance than of water: strong tidal flows, deep swell, and a stretch that rarely sits still. It is not settled, but it is the one I keep returning to.

2029…

That one I will keep to myself for now. There are a few larger plans in progress, and they are not yet ready to be written down.

None of it happens alone, and none of it happens quickly. That has always been the appeal.