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: Port to Pub and the Catalina Channel, 2027

Having come back from rib-resection surgery in May 2025 to swim the full 46 kilometres around Manhattan, my attention now turns to 2027, a year that could complete both the Australian Triple Crown and the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming.

Port to Pub, from Fremantle to Rottnest Island in March, is the last swim I need in the Australian series, and the Catalina Channel later in the year would finish the same three swims my uncle Murph completed in 2011.