Salt Rock’s Mike celebrates 50th Midmar Mile swim

Salt Rock’s Mike Pengelly (76) has become the first person to complete 50 Midmar Mile swims, continuing his tradition of finishing every single edition of the world’s largest open water event.

Since the inaugural Midmar in 1974, which he swum with his Pinetown Otters water polo teammates, Pengelly has crossed the finish line under the cut off time every year.

As part of his celebratory swim, seven of his Otters teammates joined him on Saturday, whom Pengelly credits for a good time.

“I am prone to pulling left on the swim, but the guys swam on either side of me and kept me straight, so it was my best time in a few years,” he said.

“It also made it that much more special to have everyone back together, bringing out the war stories from way back when.”

Although there was deserved fanfare in conjunction with this year’s 50th celebrations, Pengelly said the race has become a part of his annual routine.

“You know, it’s weird, at this point it’s a way of life really. Time flies when you are not overthinking it,” he said.

To keep up with the fitness levels the Midmar demands, Pengelly exercises four or five times a week, mostly paddling and cycling.

He paddles with the Salty Dogs, a subgroup of the Dolphin Coast Paddlers Club, while cycling with the Cane Breakers group at Holla Trails.

“The body felt good at the swim and all things being equal, I will definitely be there again next year. At 76 I’m only middle-aged after all!”

In conjunction with the 50th celebrations, an international learn-to-swim programme called Frankie and Friends was also launched, the face of which is Ballito resident Dominique Donner-Rodd.

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Started by former US Olympic swimming coach, Doug Ingram, the programme will attempt to combat high drowning levels in underserved communities across the globe.

Donner-Rodd – a former African triathlon champion – is the coach of the Seals North Coast swimming team who also swam the 8-miler for charity.

Together, the team raised R100 000 for Frankie and Friends on their way to becoming the second team across the finish line in a combined 4:58.39.

Reddam House Ballito entered two teams in the event, one of which swam the fastest overall time of 4:47.54, while the other finished fourth.

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