Get to Know the UltraSwim 33.3 Team
Our ‘why’
We created UltraSwim 33.3 through a love of open-water swimming and a desire to create a new event that inspires people and gives them the platform to push themselves out of their comfort zone and benefit from it.
Our event is incredibly diverse, we always say, it might not be for everyone, but everyone can do it. With the proper training, any determined swimmer can complete an UltraSwim 33.3.
The uniqueness of UltraSwim 33.3 is the multi-day aspect of each event. Our races, which are spread out across Europe, focus on point-to-point swims, with the ultimate goal of completing the English Channel crossing distance of 33.3 kilometres but spread over four days. It’s this multi-day format that completely changes the experience for a swimmer.
Swimming can be very single-handed or solo but our experience so far is that of teamwork. People helping each other and willing each other to become finishers and pull together to make it through the four days. We’ve seen swimmers from over 30 countries, all different shapes and sizes and abilities become a solid, supportive community. But that’s the beautiful thing about swimming, it’s so diverse and nothing matters when you’re out there. Everyone just wants to make it to the finish line.
For us, it's about creating, building, and maintaining that platform and helping more people achieve their goals.
That’s our why. So, show up as you are, join our community and come and nail a 33.3!
Meet our team
Mark Turner, Co-Founder
Entrepreneur, leader, and marketeer with diverse background from early career Royal Navy Officer, through to 20 years building a sports marketing business (www.ocsport.com) initially with Dame Ellen MacArthur during her sailing years, and in 2017/18 CEO of Volvo Ocean Race. In recent years investing and supporting in small sport or sustainability-focused business as a Strategic Advisor / NED whilst building a new portfolio in open water swimming. Mark has completed some of the classics such as Rottnest, Gibraltar Straits and Bonafacio Lausanne, Switzerland and Chamonix-Mont-Blanc, France.
Nathanial Waring, Co-Founder
Open water swimmer and global entrepreneur based on the ‘magical’ island of Florianopolis, Brazil. Nathaniel sold his global luxury travel company and moved to Brazil in 2017 where he runs the Waterman Center, which caters to athletes and digital nomads who want to learn to enjoy the open ocean and its challenges. Nathaniel holds the record for the 19km Tahiti to Moorea crossing and has swum the Straits of Gibraltar, from Sardinia to Corsica and many other swims. He spends every September on Montenegro’s Lustica Peninsula.
Susie Walker, Managing Director
Susie Walker, originally from the Isle of Wight, UK, has been a resident of Mallorca, Spain, for over a decade. With a deep passion for the sea and ocean-related sports, Susie has dedicated much of her career to the sailing industry. She was a key member of Mark's team at OC Sport for more than ten years and also the Volvo Ocean Race, supporting numerous team campaigns and events. Susie brings extensive experience in sponsorship and partnership management, hospitality, client services, and project management, with a particular enthusiasm for databases, systems, and process optimization
Emma Olsson, Customer relations manager
With a background as a certified massage therapist, personal trainer, and experience in social work, Emma is dedicated to supporting and caring for others—whether helping people improve their physical health or providing excellent client service. After several years working in the luxury industry in the south of France, she returned to Sweden and joined ÖTILLÖ, the founders of Swimrun. Emma now focuses on client services and customer relations at UltraSwim 33.3.
James Bainbridge, Race Director
UK-based James was introduced to swimming at age 2 following a near-drowning experience. Progressing through the usual learn-to-swim programmes led to a successful competitive junior period. He raced at World Masters level with his breaststroker wife, Nikki. James has combined his aquatic experience with his understanding of safety, situational awareness and emergency response, and joins us with Event/Race Director experience gained over the last decade.
Cecilia Schutte, Community manager
Cecilia is an accomplished open-water swimmer based in Cape Town. With expertise in social media marketing, website development, and graphic design, she is also an open-water technique coach and community leader. Cecilia's passion for open-water swimming led her to establish a successful open-water swim group, where she actively contributes to the community. She has managed global outreach projects and delivered motivational talks for various organizations, using her swims to raise awareness of socio-economic issues and environmental challenges. Cecilia holds numerous records in Ultra Marathon swimming, including a 34 km swim in skins which was three circumnavigations around Robben Island. Notably, she was the first woman to complete an Ice Mile with the International Ice Swimming Association and has set several pioneer records in water temperatures between 0-4C in skins.
Through her achievements, Cecilia hopes to inspire others to push their limits and achieve their own personal "Mount Everests."
Hayley Wright, Operations Director
Hayley is an accomplished trail, ski and adventure race competitor with a great love of the outdoors. Originally from the UK she is a Montenegro / West Balkans adventure travel expert after 18 years living in the region – the perfect ground agent for 33.3’s events in the region, and a great go-to person if you want to make more of your stays in Montenegro or Croatia either side of the events.
