Swimming for a cause in the fight against ocean pollution

IOL News

30-04-2025

Sarah Ferguson, the endurance athlete behind the Breathe World Ocean Day Swim
Image: Supplied
South African endurance swimmer, Sarah Ferguson, is encouraging people to be part of the country's biggest open ocean swim event and its war to Save Our Sea (SOS).
The fourth annual Breathe World Ocean Day Swim will take place on June 7, and will be leading the battle against plastic pollution in the ocean.
The popular mid-winter swim will this year be held at the Durban Beach Club a day before World Ocean Day is celebrated globally.
South African swimmer Sarah Ferguson encourages the public to take responsibility for the threat posed by plastics.
Image: File
Ferguson, from Durban North, the driving force behind the event, is challenging fellow swimmers to respond to the SOS call to reduce plastic pollution.
"I encourage people to come out and support a cause. Every cent will go towards educating future generations and hopefully inspire change. Our event showcases how we can save the planet. We hope to attract 500 participants this year," said Ferguson, who heads up the event's beneficiary, Breathe Conservation.
Breathe Conservation is a South African-based non-profit marine conservation organisation that focuses on reducing and eliminating single-use plastics.
With a motto of "Live Deeply, Tread Lightly', Breathe aims to inspire future generations to reconnect with nature by providing education resources and running regular beach and reef clean-ups – and events such as the Breathe World Ocean Day Swim sponsored by FNB.
Ferguson said the event offers swimmers the option of four distances, ranging from 800m, through the traditional mile or 1.6km, 3.2km or the 5km Olympic distance.
"It caters for anyone over the age of 10 who loves the ocean and can swim. They will have the opportunity to swim for a cause.
"Funds raised go to our schools programme. We employ a qualified marine guide who teaches marine ecology at certain schools. We also partnered with DSW this year and will be doing some river clean ups prior to the event with local communities and schools. On the day there will also be a beach clean up and a marine guided walk for non-swimmers and supporters," she said.
She said the event has always focused on ocean conservation and celebrating the ocean.
"The annual Breathe World Ocean Day Swim is very close to my heart and comes from my passion to clean and save our oceans. As an ocean swimmer, I have seen the devastating effect pollution has on our oceans and want to raise awareness, so I started the event as a way to honour World Ocean Day, and help create an awareness about why we should protect the oceans.
"This is an opportunity to both showcase our beautiful ocean, and highlight why it is so important to protect it. The ocean is faced with so many challenges, especially in Durban with the sewerage leaks, flooding and, of course, plastic pollution. It is really valuable to have something like World Ocean Day, which is a global day that recognises the oceans and the importance of it in our lives," said Ferguson.
Entries for the Breathe World Ocean Day Swim, is open on the MyActive entry platform at breatheworldoceandayswim2025.myactive.co.za
The first 300 entries will get a free event towel and all entrants receive a swim cap. More information about Breathe can be found at breatheconservation.org
SUNDAY TRIBUNE