200 miles the target for intrepid Pretoria swimmer as Charity Challenge kicks off at Midmar Dam

This weekend marks a historic milestone for 56-year-old Gary Albertyn as he plans to complete his 200th aQuellé Midmar Mile.

The former national champion and icon of the swimming community embarks on the first part of the challenge at Midmar Dam near Howick today, taking to the water for the 16-mile Charity Challenge where he will be raising money for children’s cancer charity Happy Bundles over the next two days.

Hundreds of swimmers took the plunge on Thursday morning, all raising funds for worthy causes, with the aQuellé Midmar Mile having contributed close to R20 million to charity since 2016.

Apart from the 16 on Thursday and Friday, Albertyn will be adding in an extra two swims and then complete two more over the weekend to reach the 20 needed to achieve the 200-mile mark.

“I did two extra last year [20 in total] and I want to do two extra again so that I can get the 200th mile by the end of Midmar,” he explained. “I'll do 16 plus two extra and then a race on Saturday, and a race on Sunday.” 

Asked what motivates him to take on such gruelling challenges, Albertyn laughed and said: “I don't know. I'm starting to question that myself, to be honest, but I think I'm just enjoying being fit and being in shape. So that's the main thing. The racing is getting a bit harder every year but I'm enjoying being in shape.”

Unlike many other regulars who take on the world’s largest open water race annually, Albertyn only started participating in the event in 2012. So his 200 crossings of the famous KwaZulu-Natal dam will have been completed in just 14 years. During that time he has also notched up an impressive number of wins in his age category.

As for what the plan is after the 200-mark has been achieved, Albertyn reckons it’s too early to tell. “I'm not sure. We'll have to see how that goes. I'm not going to commit too early,” he said.

In the meantime, he’ll be fully focused on the task of putting one arm in front of the other to swim his 32km over the next four days, which includes taking part in the family race along with his son Connor, daughter Kaitlyn, and wife Megan. The Albertyns have dominated the family race in recent years, with 20-year-old Connor now also one of the main contenders in the elite men’s race.

“I think it's going to be tough. Every Midmar is different every year, so I think he stands a chance, but there are some tough competitors there and some foreign swimmers as well, which always makes it a little bit tougher,” he said of his son, who finished in second spot last year behind Australian Nick Sloman.

Those still hoping to participate in the event can enter at the dam on the day as online entries are now closed. Swimmers are encouraged to arrive early to avoid disappointment. For more information, head to www.midmarmile.com.