The Wingless Warrior

Armless open water swimmer Kerry-Lee Gockel sets her sights on a 25km Ultramarathon swim. Words by Janine Sheen.

She calls herself ‘The Wingless Warrior’, evoking images of angels or superheroes, aptly fitting the only armless, female, long-distance ocean swimmer in Australia. Sitting at a café, she has a relaxed yet refined aura, stealthily using her feet to sip on a flat white and send a few quick texts. But before she even got to the café, she woke at 4:15am for an hour of pool training, chose what to wear, asked someone to dress her, and then applied her make-up with her feet. At 40, Kerry-Lee Gockel, born with no arms due to Congenital Amelia, says, “I never go to the pool by myself. I can’t put my cap and goggles on independently.”

Her moniker, far from solemn, started with mates over a few wines and a humble pizzaeating contest. A friend feverishly narrated the moment with WWE-style stage names, and she was coined ‘The Wingless Warrior’, and it stuck. Kerry-Lee says, “So often, my friends or people around me will say, we forget that you have a disability because it’s just not a big thing.”

Buoyed by her recent nomination for the WOWSA (World Open Water Swimming Association) Awards, she has set some epic goals. Firstly, in 2025, ‘Swim Around Keppel’ a 20km circumnavigation of Great Keppel Island, in the tropical waters off Queensland. And secondly, in 2026, the Ultra-Marathon category of the ‘Port to Pub’, a 25km ocean swim crossing the famous Gage Roads shipping channel from Fremantle to Rottnest Island, in Western Australia.

Let’s give gravitas to this, where it’s due, taking off any rose coloured glasses and putting on some of ‘The Wingless Warriors’ goggle vision – in your next swim session attempt a brief 25m without being powered by your arms. Then take a moment to imagine not a mere 25m, but 25km of our heroine swimming it, in the open ocean. Kerry-Lee embodies determination and serves as a role model and motivating force, especially when we need it most. She says, “I focus on how I know it’s going feel when I finish.”

Based in Queensland with her husband, Paul Gockel, a former Paralympic swimmer, Kerry-Lee’s Instagram account @thewinglesswarrior shows sparkling images of winged murals, night swims, charity events and tropical swim safaris. Kerry- Lee says, “There was always an unspoken understanding between the two of us when we first met that there would be certain things that I need help with. When I commit to doing one of these big swims, he (Paul) is committing to it too. I think that’s why all of us who do these bigger solo distances always acknowledge how much of a team effort it is, even though we are singlehandedly covering that distance.”

Raised in a family keen on water sports, swimming lessons were mandatory for safety reasons. As a child, Kerry-Lee, comfortably swam on her back but was terrified of putting her face in the water. She says, “Mum gave me a gentle nudge with her foot off the top step. She was sick of watching me try, and freak out.” Like a puffin chick hesitating on its instinct to leave the nest and fly out to sea, needing its mother to spur it on. “She was like, right, baptism of fire, here we go! So, I see you didn’t drown. You’re fine. She’s actually she’s a very gentle, loving Mum. But it was a push that I literally needed to realise that I could do it, and I wasn’t going to drown if my face got wet.”

It wasn’t until late in high school that swimming became competitive for Kerry- Lee. The turning point came when the school swim coach, standing next to her sister, asked, “Who’s that Terry-Lee that everybody keeps cheering for?” Her sister replied, “No, that’s Kerry-Lee, my sister.” James, the coach, replied, Why don’t you tell her to join our squad? I’ll train her.” Kerry- Lee fondly recalls, “I loved training with James. All of a sudden, I had my sport.”

Her ambition drove her to aim for the nationals, with aspirations to represent Queensland and even compete in the Paralympics. However, as she began studying law and balancing work, she made the difficult decision to step back. “It meant a lot to me at that time to get my degrees and become a lawyer. So, that’s when I decided to pull back from competitive swimming,” she explains.

In 2005, inspired by her coach James, Kerry-Lee entered her first ocean swim. She recalls, “James said, ‘You’re following this black line up and down all the time. Of course, you like pool swimming, but why don’t you give open water a crack?’ So, I did my very first 1km ocean swim.”

Her ocean swimming technique involves using a pair of fins for propulsion and swimming alongside a companion swimmer and a kayaker, as well as a constant internal mantra “Am I getting air? Yes. Am I moving forward? Yes. Well, then keep going.” Kerry-Lee says, “I’m breathing bilaterally, so looking side to side. When I do open water swimming, I rely on the person that I’m swimming with to set the course, and I set the pace.”

Kerry-Lee takes a practical approach to life and advocates for the importance of support. She says, “I think the community has a huge part to play. Anybody who comes just once to a community open water swimming group realises that they’re friendly and welcoming. People want you to experience the joy of being in the water that we’ve all experienced. So there’s this very enthusiastic, ‘Just come and try. I’ll stay with you, I’ll swim with you.’ There’s always somebody willing to stick with a new swimmer and be there for support.”

Although too modest to admit it, ‘The Wingless Warrior’ certainly has a superhero vibe. She says, “It’s such an inclusive sport. Anybody can open water swim. There’s no such thing as a typical open-water swimmer. It doesn’t exist. I think it’s one of those sports where anybody can give it a go.”

Port to Pub swim event is in March 2025 from Fremantle to Rottnest Island, Western Australia, Australia: porttopub.com.au

Swim Around Keppel swim event is held late August in Queensland, Australia: swimaroundkeppel.com.au

Follow Kerry on Instagram @thewinglesswarrior