Extreme swimmer Ryan Stramrood has become the second person to swim 100 crossings between Robben Island and the mainland, in a time of two hours 18 minutes. He follows his late friend and swimming companion, Theodore Yach, who made the swim an incredible 108 times. Yach died last year after suffering asthma-related complications. Stramrood dedicated his seven-point four kilometre swim to Yach.
“Totally elated to be on the beach. No Robben Island Swim is ever easy. Today was my 100th and I’ve made it. It was tough out there, it was cold and it got choppy, so I am very happy,” says Stramrood.
Fellow extreme swimmer and environmental campaigner Lewis Pugh accompanied Stramrood in a support boat.
“It’s an incredible achievement to swim 100 Robben Islands. I have been swimming for 32 years and I have never done an easy Robben Island, never once, and he has now done 100. The thing about Robben Island is that it’s always unpredictable. You think you are going to do two hours and conditions change and it takes three hours, you think you will take 3 hours and it becomes 5 hours. It shows Ryan has got real mental fortitude and ‘vasbyt’,” says Pugh.
