South Africans are constantly raising the bar, even during lockdown. A local swimmer from Cape Town has just become the world record holder for most Robben Island crossings, after completing the swim a whopping 109 times.
Ryan Stamrood, a motivational speaker and mindset trainer, met his years-long goals of making the most Robben Island crossings. He recently completed his 109th crossing from Robben Island to Blouberg Beach.
This feat beats previous record holder, the late Theordore Yach, who made 108 crossings in 2016. Stamrood dedicated his win to Yach, who passed away in 2018.
“Very pleased to find my feet on the beach after one of my slowest crossings ever. But a very important one to me,” Stamrood wrote on Facebook. “Burst out of full lockdown WAY too unfit after months out the water, really battled, but finally surpassed the very high bar set by Theo Yach and hit no.109 Robben Island crossings.”
Stamrood’s mission has always been to achieve this record without ever failing a crossing. He plans to one day write a book about his experiences.
Picture: Instagram / @ryan_stamrood