Marathon Swimmer, 35, Attempts World Record 34-Mile Distance in River Infested with 5,500 Crocodiles
Marathon Swimmer, 35, Attempts World Record 34-Mile Distance in River Infested with 5,500 Crocodiles
Escher WalcottTue, April 28, 2026 at 10:45 AM UTC
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Ultramarathon swimmer Andy DonaldsonCredit: Andy Donaldson/Instagram -
Andy Donaldson began his 34-mile swim along the crocodile-filled Ord River in Western Australia on April 28
The 35-year-old holds three world records for long-distance swimming and aims to achieve his fourth with this challenge
If successful, Donaldson will be the first man to hold the record and complete his longest solo swim challenge
A British-Australian marathon swimmer is attempting to break the world record by swimming more than 34 miles along one of Australia's most crocodile-infested rivers.
At around 5:30 a.m. local time on Tuesday, April 28, Andy Donaldson set off on the “dam to dam” challenge, swimming 55km (34.18 miles) down the Ord River in Kimberley heading to the Australian town of Kununurra, according to his Instagram profile.
The 35-year-old holds three world records for the fastest long-distance open swims and hopes to achieve his fourth with this challenge, which will see him swim among the 5,500 crocodiles that inhabit the river.
Andy DonaldsonCredit: Andy Donaldson/Instagram
“It's a challenge I’ve had my sights set on for a while and to take something on here, in my home state of Western Australia, makes it even more special,” Dondaldson said in an Instagram post on Monday, April 27.
In a video posted on Donaldson's Instagram on Tuesday, he is seen swimming along the Ord River beside a man in a canoe, as another boat sails past him.
“Just over two hours in, Andy is making his way down the Ord River in Kimberley,” the caption reads.
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“This was never just about distance. It’s about preparation, precision, and adapting to whatever the river throws at you. So far, he’s looking strong, settled and locked in. The conditions are raw, the environment unpredictable, and there’s still a long way to go," it continues.
This will be Donaldson’s longest solo swim challenge if completed. If he is successful, he will be the first man to hold the record and the second person after Simone Blaser, who completed the swim in 2024 in 16 hours and 13 minutes, according to Nine News.
“I’ve been fortunate to have had a lot of incredible swim challenges all around the world, but I'm really excited about this one because there's something here in Western Australia. It's a beautiful part of the world,” Donaldson told 10 News Perth.
Andy DonaldsonCredit: Andy Donaldson/Instagram
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Donaldson set three world records in 2023 as part of the Oceans Seven Marathon swimming challenge. One for the fastest time to complete the challenge in 355 days, another for the fastest cumulative swim time in 63 hours and two minutes and a third for the fastest crossing of the Cook Strait [which connects the Tasman Sea on the northwest with the South Pacific Ocean] in four hours and 33 minutes, according to his Instagram.
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Source: “AOL Sports”
