News & Media
146 official Midmar crossings and still going strong
For Mervyn Bremner, the best part of open water swimming is the feeling of total freedom. In 2019, Mervyn will attempt his 40th Consecutive aQuellé Midmar Mile – and his 147th to 154th Official Crossing of Midmar Dam. His love of swimming took him to the dam for the...
What’s to love about the Lake Heritage Water Festival?
Lake Heritage Water Festival 2019 is just days away, with 3km, 5km, 1 200m and 600m swim events to suit every swimmer. Rather than tell you why we think this event is so great, we decided to get a few of our swimmers to tell us why they love this event so much. Here’s...
Swimming eight miles to make a difference – meet Fallon Finlayson
Fallon Finlayson is a self-confessed water addict who took on her first aQuellé Midmar Mile in 2007. Looking back, she believes she was hooked right from the start. Two years later, she noticed that some people were swimming in special gold caps, and curiosity led her...
Swim your way to health and happiness
While it may seem like we’re preaching to the choir, here are some great reminders of why swimming is arguably the best form of exercise there is. If you’re battling to get into training mode now that the weather is warming up, read on for some great inspiration....
Keeping on track across Midmar Dam
One of the most common problems that swimmers experience is keeping track of where they are during their swim. It’s not uncommon to see competitors zig-zagging and going completely off course, and this is usually based on four things: Not knowing the course The...
Le Clos launches swim foundation
The sport of swimming continues to make a big splash in South Africa, as one of the World’s most decorated swimmers, Chad Le Clos announced the launch of his Foundation this week. The Chad Le Clos Foundation, which is partnering with the aQuellé Midmar Mile, the...
Unfogging your goggles
When it comes to open-water, it’s really important to be able to see where you’re going. Without this ability, your aQuellé Midmar Mile can easily become your aQuellé Midmar Mile and a Half. Due to the fact that the air inside your goggles is warmer than the water...
Race review: Cradle Moon Swim Challenge 2018
Sunday 25 November dawned bright and sunny at Cradle Moon Lakeside Game Lodge, and conditions were perfect for the much-anticipated Cradle Moon Swim Challenge. These good conditions held on just long enough for every event in the fun-filled morning to go off without a...
Splashes made at the 2018 Dis-Chem Sun City Swim
The day of the Dis-Chem Sun City Swim lived up to the resort's name, with plenty of sunshine and a beautiful day to go for a swim! Event 1 was a 3km swim, which splashed off at 8am. To no-one's surprise it was seven-time aQuellé Midmar Mile winner, Chad Ho, who was...
Meet Vanessa Earle — a disabled swimmer with a difference
Most people who had lost a leg two years earlier wouldn’t think about taking on their first aQuellé Midmar Mile – but Vanessa Earle is not most people. Having been a swimmer back in her school days, she had always wanted to add the Mile to her list of accomplishments,...
Open water swimming tips from a race veteran
44-time aQuellé Midmar Mile finisher, Martin Godfrey, took a break between training sessions to give us his five top tips for a successful crossing of Midmar Dam. Tip 1: Start training The sooner you get into the water, the better. Start out by doing 1 000 metres per...
Seeding season splashes off
Entries to all seeding events in the 2018/19 swimming season leading up to the 46th aQuellé Midmar Mile on 9 and 10 February 2019 are now open. The season consists of three bumper events that are sure to leave swimmers well prepared to take on Midmar Dam in February....
Introducing a swimming legend – Bev Shuttleworth
She has 35 aQuellé Midmar Mile medals; she has competed in KwaZulu-Natal and South African masters swimming galas; she is the holder of many records and she is ranked in the top 10 female swimmers in her age group in the world. Looking at her long list of...
Meet seven-time Mile winner Chad Ho
The competitive open water swimming bug bit Chad Ho 13 years ago, and the unpredictability of the sport is what he loves most! “It’s a mysterious sport,” he explained. “Not knowing what the outcome will be gives me an extra adrenaline rush.” We caught up with Chad and...
Another successful aQuelle Midmar Mile done and dusted.
The 2018 aQuellé Midmar Mile, which took place on 10 and 11 February, saw some 13 000 swimmers take to the waters of Midmar Dam. As always, the excitement was palpable and a safe, enjoyable swim was had by all. Saturday morning saw temperatures north of 30 degrees,...
