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Suffering from fatigue and loneliness, battling frigid water temperatures and facing a distant horizon, Graham Grindley-Ferris, questioned his ability to complete a long-distance swim in the Atlantic Ocean along the South African coast last December.
Then, some unexpected guests arrived to accompany Graham for about a mile. A school of dolphins gave him the energy and strength to carry on.
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“The dolphins definitely wanted to swim with me, as they were constantly all around me, maneuvering themselves just out of reach so as neither to collide with nor distract me. I was extremely tired at this point and having this sort of teamwork pulling me along for about one mile was absolutely incredible,” Graham recalled.
“The dolphins—together with my delighted crew and my wife—gave me that last ounce of inspiration to complete the swim.”
Graham, a senior manager in Accenture Technology Consulting, Systems Integration & Technology, is only the fifth person to swim the 10-mile distance from Robben Island—where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned during apartheid—to Cape Town, South Africa and back again.
As a result of his efforts, Graham was recognized by the Cape Long Distance Swimming Association of South Africa. He has also been featured in several leading magazines and television shows, and the WWF formerly known as World Widlife Fund invited him to serve as a “Marine Champion” in support of the Fund’s environmental campaign.
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Going the extra mile
Graham originally intended to complete the one-way endurance crossing with two experienced swimming companions. Midway through the swim, however, he became determined to go the extra mile, deciding to swim back to Robben Island again.
“The support crew could sense I was feeling strong. Being swimmers themselves, they felt they could not deny me this opportunity,” Graham explained. “After a few phone calls to the marine authorities, I was given the thumbs up.”
However, on the return leg, Graham was challenged by the elements.
“Tackling an open water long-distance swim involves mental and physical endurance,” Graham admitted. “During the swim, I also encountered some impediments, including jellyfish, wind, ice-cold water and the ever-present fear of great white sharks.”
Out in the water, Graham learned that by “going the extra mile,” doors opened up to him when he least expected it. “In this instance, a metaphorical door opened as I swam side by side for a mile with wild dolphins,” Graham said. “They helped me succeed in this personal challenge.”
Above all, Graham was happy to call the ocean home for a brief while. “The ocean, together with all its creatures, is a marvelous place. Going forward, we need to respect and protect it!”
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