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The Rottnest Channel Swim is one of the most iconic open water events, taking swimmers from Cottesloe Beach to Rottnest Island in 19.7km.

The 2018 Swim was not without incidents this weekend (25/02) as sharks and capsized support boats pulled the media attention away from the main race.

However, there was plenty happening in the Swim, with an 18-year-old record broken and some speedy times across the day.

Dual Olympian and UWA Graduate Heidi Gan was the first solo woman to cross the finish line, with her time of 4:21:55 placing her in fifth place overall.

Gan commented on the swim as smoother than previous years.

“It got pretty swelly in the middle but not as bad as previous years,” she said. “When I saw the stands I was really happy. It’s a great feeling seeing the finish line.”

The Perth-based swimmer first qualified for the Olympic Games in 2012, where she became the first Malaysian to represent her country in the open water marathon swim event.

Last year Heidi took out the SEA Games 10km Asian Open Water Championship, and placed 3rd in 5km Asian Open Water Championship.

During her time at The University of Western Australia, Gan studied Law and Commerce, and now makes up time away from swimming in her role as a solicitor for Bennet + Co Corporate Lawyers.

Heidi has been involved in many prestigious competitions, with 2 Olympic Games, an Asian Championship Title and 3 South East Asian Games gold medals to her name in open water swimming.

Balancing a law career with the role of a professional athlete isn’t easy, and Heidi Gan is an inspiration for her hard work and dedication.

Gan’s Perth City Swimming Club team mate Solomon Wright was the solo men’s champion, breaking the record for the fastest swim. The 20-year-old finished the race in a time of 3:59:28, beating the record set by Mark Saliba in 2000 of 4:00:15.

Current university students and UniHall residents Tyson McEwan and Sophie Collins joined in on the action, with their team of four finishing in six hours and five minutes.

“It was a surreal moment reaching the beach where we all high fived each other. Personally, all the early morning swims, late night swims and jellyfish stings were worth it and I would do it all again in a heartbeat,” said McEwan.

Media references

Louis Humberstone

Graduate Officer, UWA Sport Marketing, Communication and Events

[email protected]

6488 3768