For me, marathon swimming sits at the intersection of family, endurance and a lifelong belief in the power of sport.

I grew up surrounded by sport and by stories of the English Channel. My grandfather, Des Renford, became one of Australia’s greatest marathon swimmers, completing 19 Channel crossings in 19 attempts. My uncle, Michael ‘Murph’ Renford, carried that tradition forward and completed the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming in 2011.

Their achievements made the extraordinary feel possible, but my own journey into marathon swimming came later. What began as a deeply personal connection to my family’s history gradually became a challenge in its own right, one that demanded patience, consistency and a willingness to become comfortable with discomfort.

Next: the 20 Bridges Swim, Manhattan — 10 October 2026

On 10 October I will attempt the 20 Bridges Swim, a 45.9 kilometre circumnavigation of Manhattan Island through the East, Harlem and Hudson rivers. It is longer than the English Channel, but it asks for something different: a loop through three waterways in the middle of a working city, where timing and rhythm matter as much as endurance.

It is also one of the three legs of the World Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming. My uncle Murph completed all three in 2011. Manhattan would be my second.

Getting here has taken longer than I expected. Surgery in May 2025 resolved the thoracic outlet issues that had troubled me for two years, and the months since have been spent rebuilding.