At just 28 years old, German extreme swimmer Nathalie Pohl is about to triumph. In the third attempt, she manages to cross the Cook Strait, although nature is once again unruly. Now she’s just a touch away from a really big feat.
Extreme swimmer Nathalie Pohl was the first German to cross New Zealand’s Cook Strait. The 28-year-old needed 6:33 hours on her third attempt, making her the fastest European to achieve this feat. In 2019 and 2020 she had to stop her attempts. A total of 130 swimmers have completed the Cook Strait so far.
The extreme swimmer had to worry about the crossing for a long time this year. Heavy rainfall caused flooding in New Zealand. After that, the cyclone “Gabrielle” and an earthquake made the start almost impossible. Nathalie Pohl waited for better weather for more than three weeks.
“New Zealand didn’t make it easy for me. Until the end, I wasn’t sure if I would even be able to start. Staying focused for such a long time was a real challenge,” said Pohl: “The conditions were also the same during the swim anything but ideal. The weather suddenly changed again. I’m just happy that I made it after all.”
The Cook Strait separates New Zealand’s North and South Islands. It is 26 kilometers wide, but the swim distance covered is longer due to the current.
For Pohl, the Cook Strait was the sixth of seven stages on the way to the so-called “Ocean’s Seven” (the seven most important straits in the world). Pohl plans the final stage in September, it goes through the ice-cold North Channel between Ireland and Scotland. Pohl would be the first German extreme swimmer to succeed in this coup and the 23rd worldwide. She would also be the youngest swimmer ever to complete this challenge.
Pohl’s secret ingredient? Mentality! “Mental strength is what counts most when swimming in open water. No matter how well you prepare, there is always a residual risk. To master such a challenge with your own strength is pure adrenaline for me,” says Pohl.
