Eighteen-year-old Amber-Rose Berry of Pringle Bay, near Cape Town, has made history as the youngest South African woman ever to swim the iconic English Channel.
Coincidentally and ironically, her swim was completed exactly 100 years after Gertrude Ederle became the first woman to swim the Channel in 1926, and during South Africa's Women's Month, 70 years after the historic women's march against the Pass Laws, which gave August its name. She follows in the footsteps of another record-breaking South African, Otto Thaning, who became the oldest person, at 73, to complete the swim in 2014. His record still stands.
She completed 33 km—regarded as one of the world's most gruelling open-water crossings—in just 10 hours 27 minutes (unofficial until ratified), battling powerful currents, painful jellyfish stings, and waves from a massive ship's wake.
The English Channel is the Mount Everest of open-water swimming. Swimmers encounter cold water, strong currents, jellyfish, shipping traffic, and the sheer physical and mental toll of swimming for upwards of 12 hours. Only a fraction of those who attempt it ever reach the other side.
For Amber-Rose, the challenge symbolised a journey from a toddler's tumble in Pringle Bay's waters to the cold, grey expanse of the Channel, refusing to let fear deter her. It stands as a testament to courage and perseverance. Fifteen years ago, as a toddler, Amber-Rose slipped during a swimming lesson and was left with a deep fear of water, frightened even to dip her head in. That incident, instead of crippling her swimming career, became an inspirational turning point, spurring an extraordinary turnaround. Her resilience and tenacity embody more than personal achievement—they inspire others to rise from the darkest waters.
Besides setting a new record, the swim raised over $7,000 for a fundraising campaign to support the Ukukhula Institute in Makhanda, providing scholarships for disadvantaged student-athletes from Eastern Cape high schools to attend Rhodes University.
"That was bloody tough," said Amber-Rose from the boat shortly after her swim, "but I was motivated by the opportunity I was given to complete this swim. And by the fact that, by finishing, so many opportunities would be afforded to student-athletes like myself."
Amber-Rose left Shakespeare Beach, Dover, at 5:27 am on August 23 and landed on the rocks at Pointe du Riden, near Cap Gris Nez, France, at 3:54 pm. She swam in excellent time despite being painfully stung by jellyfish early on. Her intense zeal and mental resilience carried her through. She virtually resurrected her energy after being dead tired and cold, as though her petrol tank was empty.
"It was about then that she had to battle through the huge wake of a ship," said Karen Berry, Amber-Rose's mother. "Funnily enough, that just seemed to energise her."
The average completion time is between 12 and 14 hours, so Amber-Rose's time places her well ahead of average, in an exclusive bracket of Channel swimmers. "It was a well-executed swim," said Karen, "with a strong start, very strong ending, and a lot of challenges in the middle."
Karen supported her onboard the escort vessel, Sea Leopard. "She received huge support from her boat support, pilots, and supporters, whose messages were shared with her during feeds."
Amber-Rose fed every hour for the first two hours, then every 30 minutes. Feeds were liquid and had to be taken quickly. Her swim followed months of intense training under coach Clinton le Seuer, a well-known open-water swimmer.
Amber-Rose has made history before. In December 2023, at just 16 years and 77 days old, she became the youngest person to complete a solo swim across False Bay—a gruelling 33 km crossing from Miller's Point to Rooi Els that took nine hours and 40 minutes. The achievement earned her a Guinness World Record and the admiration of the open-water swimming community.
The fundraising campaign launched in her name carries the slogan: "Believe in What You Can Achieve." It is exactly what Amber-Rose embodied through months of training and hours spent alone, making a perfect synthesis of her and the ocean.
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Harsh Thakor is a freelance journalist who swam the English Channel in 1988
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