HOW GOOD A SWIMMER DO I NEED TO BE?
33.3km over 4 days is a daunting challenge for most swimmers - but whilst good preparation is of course necessary (and our experts will support you in that), swimmers with an incredible range of experience and level have already completed an UltraSwim 33.3!
We get asked this question a lot. ‘How good of a swimmer do I need to be to take on the UltraSwim 33.3 challenge?’ - in theory it’s simple… if you are a good swimmer, prepare well and are determined, you have a strong chance of getting hold of the coveted 33.3 Finisher droplet!
But to save the overthinking, we’ll break it down for you…
You don’t have to be an elite swimmer to be a winner at UltraSwim 33.3 - any determined competent swimmer, with the right preparation, can succeed and join the nonetheless exclusive list of 33.3’ers - and for us, whilst we are in awe at the performances at the front, every Finisher is a winner in our book! Even if you don’t make all the finish lines, and only get the Participation Medal without the Finisher droplet, you’ll be enormously respected for what you’ve achieved regardless - and remember most of the human race don’t even make it to the start line!
At #2Montenegro last October we saw a huge variety of swimmers, from ex-elites to those who were just starting out - and everything in between. Swimming might be a ‘solo’ activity, but it felt more like a team sport, with everyone helping each other out and supporting one another with the aim of getting over those finish lines during 4 days.
Whilst it will vary event by event, you’re likely to split the 33.3km minimum total distance, over the 4 days something like this - Day 1 (two swims of 4-5km with a break), Day 2 (7.5km and an untimed 2km after lunch), Day 3 (Marathon 10km+), Day 4 (4-5km - whatever is left to make the English Channel distance!). Day 3 will be daunting for many ahead of the event, but after the first two days, even if you are tired and maybe sore (despite our sports massages, physio etc), somewhat surprisingly you will feel stronger mentally and physically!
If it’s still too daunting for you to imagine doing this SOLO, there is a DUO RELAY format which limits the maximum swim to c.5km - and a total of more like 20km, where you split the swims other than Day 4 with your DUO partner.
But we know it’s easier to relate to the experience of swimmers who have gone before you, so we’ve compiled three first-hand testimonials to give you a better idea and show you that everyone is much more capable than they initially think!
