Swimmer ventures bravely against the power of nature
– Images are available at AP Images (http://www.apimages.com) –
Nathalie Pohl
It seems that neither a tornado nor an earthquake can stop her, and her ambitions are limitless: On her third attempt, extreme swimmer Nathalie Pohl crossed New Zealand’s Cook Strait into New Zealand. as the first German woman and the fastest European woman to do so . With a special time of 06:33:00 hours, the 28-year-old athlete finished on Ohau Bay at 4:30 pm local time (UTC+13) on March 1.
A very dangerous channel
The passage between Ohau Bay on New Zealand’s North Island and Arapawa Island on its South Island is considered particularly dangerous. Only 130 extreme swimmers worldwide have ever successfully crossed the sea. In addition to being a busy shipping route, there are often sharks to contend with and significant seismic changes on the seafloor, which can cause dangerous currents. Cook Strait is also known for rough seas. Strong currents can add hours to swimming. As Nathalie Pohl has experienced twice before, New Zealand’s natural strength is something to be reckoned with. She had to abort her attempts in 2019 and 2020 after struggling with the currents for hours, sometimes even swimming “upstream”.
Crossing the road is difficult due to floods, tornadoes and earthquakes
The momentum has been greater than all of this this year. But the extreme swimmer has had to worry about crossing the sea for a long time. Massive heavy rain causes flooding in New Zealand. Then Hurricane Gabrielle and an earthquake made getting started almost impossible. For more than three weeks, Nathalie Pohl waited for better weather. Meanwhile, she continues to train with discipline, but uncertainty isn’t an easy situation, especially mentally. “New Zealand hasn’t been easy for me. I’m not sure until the end if I can compete. Concentrating for such a long period of time is a real challenge. Even while swimming, the swimmers are very competitive. the conditions were no longer ideal. The weather suddenly changed. I’m glad I finally made it,” the 28-year-old explained. But she did not allow herself to be discouraged. After all, Nathalie Pohl is particularly noted for her iron will. “In outdoor swimming, the most important thing is your mental strength. No matter how well prepared you are, there will always be residual risk. Mastering such a challenge with nothing but the strength of your own body makes me feel such adrenaline rush,” she said.
Intensive preparation is key
Her success comes after months of preparation. To get ready for the shallows, Nathalie Pohl has completed extremely intensive training that goes beyond swimming. In addition to her hundreds of hours in the water, she also participates in exercises and special strength training to prepare for the cold and the dark. Her trainer Joshua Neuloh explains: “In December, we prepare for the Cook Strait in Portugal. We’re in the Atlantic, facing two-meter waves, 16-degree water temperatures, and violent storms. There are no boats out to sea. Even the Portuguese navy kept its fleet in port. But Nathalie was out there, training hard.” Finally, food is a major theme. In the water, Nathalie has to eat every 30 minutes due to a lot of effort. With waves as high as the ones she experienced in New Zealand, even just being able to eat something was a big challenge.
Within Reach: First German Woman to Complete “Ocean’s Seven”
Nathalie once again shows that all the deprivations and years of training have paid off. The Cook Strait crossing marked Nathalie’s successful completion of the sixth of seven stages on her way to “Ocean’s Seven” – the world’s toughest long-distance outdoor swimming challenge. The seventh leg of the icy North Channel between Ireland and Scotland is scheduled for September. If all goes according to plan, Nathalie Pohl could call herself Queen of the Sea. She will be the 23rd person in the world, as well as the first German woman and youngest swimmer, to complete the challenge.
More information is available at: www.nathaliepohl.de
About Cook Strait:
- Cook Strait separates New Zealand’s North and South Islands
- It is named after English captain, explorer and seafarer James Cook
- It is 26 km wide (although swimming distances are always longer due to currents)
- Some of the challenges specific to extreme swimmers include strong currents, storms, and sharks
- There are only about ten attempts to get through it each year
- The water temperature is only from 15 to 18 degrees
- To date, 130 swimmers have completed the crossing
- This is one of the seven stages in “Ocean’s Seven”
- Side note: “Ocean’s Seven” involves swimming across seven sea channels on five different continents. It is important that the athlete starts and finishes on land and does not touch the support boat or wear a neoprene wetsuit. Only 22 swimmers in the world have achieved this feat. Nathalie Pohl will be the first German woman to do so
