Midmar madness takes off

IT’S sink or swim for those who want to compete in the world's largest open water swimming event as entries for the 2025 aQuellé Midmar Mile close in the next few hours.

Thousands of swimmers from across the world have entered and are expected to travel up to Howick in the KZN midlands for the 52nd instalment of the event which takes place from 6-9 February.

Despite the international athletes and Olympic medallists that will compete, all eyes are likely to be on Mike Pengelly who has participated every year since its inception in the 70’s.

The 78-year old Salt Rock resident says the Midmar Mile (about 1.6 km) is more than just a swim and has kept growing year after year in different ways.

“Wayne Riddin (Race Director) and his team have raised millions of rands for deserving charities over the years and thousands of people have become swimmers, thanks to the motivation of the Midmar Mile which is so important as there are still way too many drownings in our country. Every child should be taught to swim from a very early age,” said Pengelly.

The athlete who also has also completed the Comrades Marathon 20 times between 1973 and 1992 says he trains in the Thompson’s Bay tidal pool at Ballito and when conditions allow he also swims in the ocean to prepare for the Midmar.

Pengelly says only 153 men participated in the first Midmar, today up to 14 000 participate in the event every year. He said it was a privilege to be a part of it for another year and there were many things that made the Midmar Mile special.

“And watching the grit, courage and determination of swimmers with disabilities who take on this challenge is also just unbelievable.” The Guinness World Records officially recognised the Midmar Mile as the world's largest open water swimming event in 2009 when 13 755 completed in that year.

For swimming teacher Odette Randelhoff the Midmar Mile is something she looks forward to every year and some of her youngest entrants have been under 10 years of age. Last year a group of her students had only been swimming for about two months when they entered and completed the event.

“I taught them to swim in the pool and identified them as children that I felt had the self-confidence to do it, and they and their parents had the trust in me and I just encouraged them in those couple of months to get into the pool whenever they had an opportunity and swim for half an hour each each time So they knew that their bodies could just keep going.”

Randelhoff is from the Seals Swimming Club which organises the Midmar under Ridden. She said swimming brought joy, built self-worth and made people challenge themselves. Over the years she has witnessed the transformation in people when they learnt to swim. She’s had three and four-year olds swim the length of a 1,5 metre pool. Six and seven year olds have completed the Midmar Mile. Her oldest pupil was a 62-year old woman, several stroke patients in their 70’s have taken up swimming to improve their health and one of the people who inspired her was a blind girl who she also taught to swim.

“I strive to help every swimmer become the best swimmer that they can be .There is only one world champion but everyone can become their own champion. Imagine getting in one side of a dam and believing and trusting that you can get to the other side, wow. It gives them freedom, It gives them a sense of joy and they can be so proud of every little improvement that they make in their own swimming,” Randelhoff said.