Swam 17 kilometers in 6 hours 20 minutes, all butterfly style.

The December 31 Brenton Williams bid farewell to the 2012 by setting a new record for open petticoats. In Marina Martinique, South Africa, swam 17 kilometers in 6 hours 20 minutes, all butterfly style. Yes, 17 km butterfly without stopping.

The previous record was in the hands of Chris Barnard, South African swimmer of open waters who in 1994 swam 15 km in butterfly.

It was a bumpy 2012 for Williams, as he was also the first person to butterfly the 11,5 km between Robben Island and Three Anchor Bay in Cape Town, with the water at 12 degrees Celsius. He was also nominated for the World Open Water Swimming Performance of the Year award for having swam 8 km, butterfly style, also in South Africa, this time in St. Helena Bay.

“The South African record of 17 km was very difficult to obtain. The last 5 km were exhausting as I felt like my shoulders were getting numb and a problem arose with my right knee. The water was 24.8 degrees. It felt very hot. The last six months my training had focused on swimming in the cold waters of Robben Island, so swimming in warm waters was quite an adaptation. I wanted to do a great swim at Jeffreys Bay so I moved there and trained there. The support from my friends at Marina Martinique really made a difference as it helped me to go further and to keep swimming despite the pain. The support I received in the last 2 km was fantastic and this feat will be in my memory forever. "

Brenton Williams started the 2013 with a deserved rest that probably will not be for many days, soon we will see him swimming around the South African coast again.

mirutasport.com