Rosie completes Manhattan swim

Monday 19 August 2019

Endurance swimmer, Rosie Williams overcame difficult conditions at the weekend to become the first Guernsey person to swim around Manhattan Island.

The 27-year-old completed the route in just over nine hours, facing a number of challenges along the way.

"You see such amazing sites when you're swimming, things that one is ever going to see from angle, but it was a really challenging swim," she said. "It was rougher than what I would normally be used to and so it was really hard, but I'm glad that I've done it."

Pictured: Rosie was supported by a team of kayakers.

The athlete followed a 28.5 mile route around the island, along with 14 other swimmers who were selected to take part.

"I had expected for it to be a bit shorter," she continued. "I'd prepared for it to be between seven and eight-and-a-half hours, which doesn't seem like that much difference, but when you've got it in your head that you're swimming for seven hours and then actually to have to go and do another two and a half was really challenging."

The swim is very difficult to get into, with fewer than 100 participants each year. Rosie had to send in a swimming CV and was surprised when she was picked.

Pictured: Rosie Williams.

Having already swum the English Channel, the athlete is now part-way through the long-distance 'Triple Crown' swimming series.

"I had done so much training for the Channel, so I was really well prepared and I was really excited about it. This one is meant to be easier, but I hadn't been able to train anywhere near as much and it sprung up on me, so what should have been a much easier swim was actually, for me, a lot harder because of the conditions and things that happened on the day.

"I think it's more of an achievement because it was so hard and to finish when you really want to give up is quite difficult."

Pictured: Rosie had the chance to see some iconic sites along the way.

The last of the 'Triple Crown' swims is in the Catalina Channel, which Rosie hopes to complete within the next few years. She is, however, going to take a break from long-distance swimming for the time being, while she gets involved in some local events and focuses on running.

She hopes her experience will inspire others to take up a sport they enjoy:

"I was quite sensible in how I started swimming," she added. "I really started casually and then built up. The first swim I did was Sark and then I did Alderney, getting longer and longer.

"I think that's a really big thing, to actually take it step by step and not jump into anything too quickly. And just enjoy it! There's no point in doing anything if you don't enjoy it. You need to find something you're really passionate about and then just go with it."

Pictured top: Rosie after completing the swim.