Break to record maker

Simone Blaser is an award winning swimmer, the founder of Swimwild Escape and the first person to swim the 54km Upper Ord River in Western Australia. Here she shares her story and what she has planned for 2027

I have been a water baby since day dot. Always splashing around in the kiddie’s pool with my siblings or in the waves of the Indian Ocean near Durban, South Africa, where I was born. When I was eight years old, my parents moved back to Switzerland and unfortunately, I had to stop squad swimming. I will never forget, standing on the pool’s edge, just wanting to dive in and my mum on the way home telling me that she couldn’t do the 40 minute drive whilst working full-time.

My swimmer’s heart was broken… I filled the void with swimming as much as I could in the lakes around Zurich but just leisurely with my friends, until I moved to Australia at the age of 30. All lanes dedicated to swimmers only? I was in heaven! After plodding along just by myself, a friend of mine suggested a team of four crossing to Rottnest Island. This 20km beautiful stretch of water can be swum as a solo, duo or team in an annual event. We signed up and I started training properly for the first time in 30 years.

Full of excitement with thousands of swimmers around me and the atmosphere eclectic, I started swimming off at sunrise into my beloved ocean. This was it! This was the moment where I discovered my deep love for the ocean and swimming in it. The eight-year-old kid in me was jumping up and down on the inside and overjoyed. We crossed the finish line as a team, and I was ready to swim back!

Could I swim a duo or even a solo? 2020 was my year to shine: my first 20km solo marathon swim. My father flew over from Switzerland to be on the boat to support me and I made it! I touched the sand of stunning Rottnest Island with immense pride – nothing compares with the feeling of accomplishment after a massive challenge like that. I have always loved to travel and discover new parts of our amazing world. Now I could combine it with my passion. So, I booked my first SwimTrek holiday in Croatia and was beyond excited!

Unfortunately, the pandemic broke out and my trip needed postponed. I so desperately wanted to go. One morning, lying in bed I thought there must be a few Aussies out there who want the same as me: swimming in stunning places with likeminded strangers who become friends and having the best time. Swimwild Escape was born, my own swimming holiday business! I now offer adventure tourism in Australia’s most iconic and beautiful places. It brings me a lot of joy, bringing the swimming community together and to see all these smiling faces coming out of the water after a satisfactory swim.

Did I say I love adventure and a challenge? Whilst swimming with a group in the Upper Ord River, Kununurra, one of the most remote places in Western Australia, I wondered if I could swim the whole stretch from dam to dam. Lake Argyle is a massive, majestic manmade lake with 20,000 freshwater crocodiles (friendly, shy and harmless by the way), from the lake dam to the next there is a 54km river with fresh, clean water, so clean you can drink it. The scenery is as rugged and wild as it gets. The raw beauty of Australia’s red cliffs draws you in. You really can’t help yourself feeling spiritual.

The preparation was going well: contacting the locals for viability, studying the water flow of the river (I was likely to get a nice push for the first 15km) and following the rigid training plan. My longest training session was a gruelling eight-hour swim in the local pool, starting at 8am and hopping out at 4pm. On 14 September 2024, a small group had gathered at 11pm to cheer me on. The night was calm and crystal clear with a million of stars shining down on us. The moon was almost full and the countdown started: 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, go! I glided into the deep dark water of the Ord River and couldn’t believe I was doing this! An unprecedented route no one has ever swum before.

After 16 hours 13 minutes I arrived at the beach with all the emotions: relief, joy, pride, exhaustion. This swim was recognised and I was awarded the 2024 Yudovin Most Adventurous Swim by Marathon Swimming Federation.

What’s next? I am always looking for the next big adventure, and a short while ago it popped up on Instagram: a 47km circumnavigation around St Helena Island in the Southern Atlantic! It is one of the most remote islands in the world and is a British Dependent Territory. The island is known for being the site of Napoleon’s exile.

I am beyond excited to take on this massive swim, which will take me roughly 24 hours. There are only eight slots available per year with a two-week window each and I was lucky enough to grab the last spot for 2027.

I am raising funds for Lifeline, an organisation that supports people with mental health struggles and suicidal thoughts. You can find the GoFundMe link at swimwildescape.com. Wvery dollar counts. Wish me luck!