Three women and a man, including a breast cancer survivor, braved the open sea to swim 10km to the Mamutik and Manukan islands in preparation for an open water swim event in September this year.

They were Pamela Fletcher, Jerry Joibi, Claire Andrew and Rainty Tioh, who survived from cancer.

Rainty, who is organising an upcoming Pink Ribbon Open Water Challenge, took up the challenge to swim with the trio as she wanted to bring home the message of strength, courage and hope espoused by the Kinabalu Pink Ribbon, an NGO that raises awareness and provide support for those affected by breast cancer.

She said she took up swimming only a few years ago when she started participating in triathlon events where swimming is one of the three disciplines involved.

This was the longest swim she attempted and was an opportunity to inspire other breast cancer survivors to stay strong in battling their illness.

“Facing the challenges of an open water swim is like battling my cancer,” said Rainty, describing the unexpected storm when she was first diagnosed.

“The currents, waves, swells, and the choppiness of the water were similar to how I dealt with the side effects of my treatments. Life is full of challenges, so staying positive is crucial. I am grateful for my journey as it has taught me to be grateful for every moment,” she said.

The swimmers were escorted by stand-up paddlers (SUP) Nick Boura, Lizzie Chin Ming Hwan and Louise Lang Chorng San of Borneo Paddle Monkeys, with Kahmis driving a rescue boat provided by Kinabalu Yacht Club in case of an emergency.

Route logistics and safety were provided by Borneo Paddle Monkeys, Kota Kinabalu’s most experienced SUP tour operator.

BPM already had experience escorting swimmers as it was behind last March’s record-breaking five-island swim.

Starting from Tanjung Aru, the swimmers headed for Mamutik and Manukan with rest stops on each before swimming the longest and toughest stretch from Manukan back to Tanjung Aru. The first leg of the swim was perfect with clear weather and fantastic views of beautiful coral reefs with myriad species of marine life visible through the clear waters around the islands but the sea condition became turbulent when a sudden storm blew through on the return leg.

One of her teammates in the swim, Pamela, 57, said that the four of them have known each other for a few years, mainly through their participation in triathon events in Malaysia.

“We would train together. The longest distance we’ve swum is 3.8km in the Ironman so this year, we decided we wanted to challenge ourselves to do a marathon open water swim as we didn’t have any plans to participate in any triathlon events. There are many distances for a marathon swim but the minimum would be 10km.”

“In preparation, we (Jerry, Rainty, myself) participated in the Kapas Marang International Swimathon (6.5km) in March and the Labuan Cross Channel Swim Challenge (5.5km) with Jerry, Rainty, Claire and myself, in May,” said Pamela.

She added that they were self-coached, watched YouTube videos, and selected training plans that suited their abilities.

“We swim mainly in the swimming pool and would occasionally swim at Tanjung Aru beach but early this year, there were a lot of obstacles doing this – the crocodile sighting, red tide, jellyfish – so it was difficult to get in a lot of open water swim practice,” she said.

She added that Rainty was very inspired by her participation in the Kapas Marang and Labuan Cross Channel swims and wanted to organise an open water swim event for this year’s Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

“We would like to help give the Kinabalu Pink Ribbon some mileage from our swim,” explained Pamela.

“Basically, we all just enjoy open water swimming and have always wanted to swim to the islands. From Tanjung Aru, the islands look so close and reachable but it was a tough swim, especially because of the storm on the way back. We are now more determined to continue open water swimming and want to swim to all the islands in the Tunku Abdul Rahman Park because it was just so beautiful,” she added.

She said that they started swimming at sunrise so the atmosphere was calm and serene.

“When we rested during our swim, we could see the city and islands in one panoramic view. It was a cloudy morning so we couldn’t see the mountain but if it was clear, it would have been visible. Then, when we approached the islands, the water was clear and corals were gorgeous with different colourful fishes swimming about. We actually slowed down to admire the view! It was so different from Kapas Marang and Labuan where there were no corals or fish … That’s why we were so keen to swim to the islands because the deep water is beautiful,” she said.

Pamela also shared that she believes open water swimming help builds up confidence “because of the water depth, waves, current … really have to work hard to overcome those fears but once you have, it’s so much fun!”

She said there were really big swells during Kapas Marang and it was her first experience so that was a bit intimidating but noted that one just have to learn to be calm and confident to swim through it.

On the other hand, there were no big waves during their swim to Mamutik and Manukan, but it rained a bit so that was again another challenge, she said.

“The important thing about open water swimming is safety, so we made sure we had escorts and a rescue boat to accompany us,” she said, adding that they wore safety buoys and goggles.

On that note, Pamela felt that Kota Kinabalu has all the potential to become an open water swimming destination suitable for all levels.

“Novice swimmers can keep to the shallower waters of Tanjung Aru while more experienced swimmers can venture further out to the islands and enjoy its beautiful underwater world. It’s an exciting sport that challenges your mental and physical strength while at the same time rewards you with an incredible opportunity to admire and bond with mother nature,” she said.

The Kinabalu Pink Ribbon Open Water Swim event is on September 16. For registration and more details, log on to https://www.facebook.com/sabahkpr/

Source:
courtesy of THE BORNEO POST

by JENNE LAJIUN ON

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