Durban North resident makes history in Hawaii
Her swim was to create awareness of the importance of eliminating the use of single-use plastic.
Sarah Ferguson
History was made as Durban North resident and physiotherapist Sarah Ferguson became the first South African woman and first woman from the continent of Africa to complete the 46km Kai’wi Channel between the Hawaiian islands of Oahu and Molokai, Northglen News reports.
What made the feat even more impressive is that Ferguson had to swim an extra 17 kilometres because of the strong current on the day.
The 35-year-old decided to do the swim to create awareness of the importance of eliminating the use of single use plastic. She recently arrived home to promote awareness about marine conservation.
She has set up an organisation called Breathe, soon to be registered as an NPO.
“We are destroying it with every straw we use, every plastic bag we buy at the shops and every single use plastic item that we consume. That’s why I established Breathe. The word holds so much significance. Breath is the essence of life. One of the projects we’ve launched is to ban straws at restaurants in Durban. So far Afros and Durban Underwater Club [DUC] have banned the use of straws which is fantastic. We are hoping by June next year to stop the use of straws around Durban. Together we can change the statistic that says that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the sea than fish,” she said.
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Ferguson said the entire swim took her close to 18 hours but she had two experienced hands at the helm. On a kayak was seconder John McCarthy, while a boat with coach, Sarah Houston on board gave her additional support.
“Sarah had the job of feeding me every half hour. I wasn’t allowed to touch the boat, and Sarah had to keep throwing me food. There were times where I really struggled to eat even because of how salty the water was but I was determined to finish. As I spotted the finish line on Makapu Bay, Sarah and John jumped into the water alongside me. I could not think of a more fitting way to end off my swim flanked by them as we swim the last mile over the reef against a current into Makapu bay.”
She said the team worked tirelessly and selflessly.
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– Caxton News Service
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