Meet the Ice Mermaid and Oceans Seven swimmer Bárbara Hernández
In our recorded Virtual Event Q&A, hear how Bárbara first developed her love of swimming, how she battled her Oceans Seven challenge, and how she’s preparing for her English Channel double
In June 2024, Bárbara completed the Oceans Seven – seven of the toughest channel crossings in the world, becoming the first South American to do so. This would be an incredible swimming accomplishment for anyone, but Bárbara grew up in a working-class family in Santiago, Chile, many miles from the sea.
Between her Oceans Sevens swims, Bárbara also became the fastest female swimmer to cross the Strait of Magellan and the world’s longest swim in Antarctica, earning her the nickname “The Ice Mermaid”.
This summer, she has planned an English Channel double.
On 1 May we were delighted to host Bárbara for a virtual Q&A to chat about about what motivates her, how she trains, and what advice she has for anyone else taking on epic swims. Watch our recording of the interview below.
Watch our Virtual Q&A with Bárbara Hernández
Interested in long-distance swimming? Watch our Virtual Q&A with marathon swimmer Neil Agius
Outdoor Swimmer
Outdoor Swimmer is the magazine for outdoor swimmers by outdoor swimmers. We write about fabulous wild swimming locations, amazing swim challenges, swim training advice and swimming gear reviews.
