Sam Destroys World Record
Marathon swimmer and mum-of-2 young children, Sam Farrow has broken the world record for the fastest swim across Lake Geneva. Sam achieved the incredible feat wearing her Funkita Diamond Back One Piece in the aptly named Destroyer print!
Traversing the length of Lake Geneva continuously and only treading water for food and drink, Sam swam the 72.8km in 22 hours 48 minutes 30 seconds.
We had 100 questions for Sam after she finished the swim, but managed to narrow it down to the handful below!
FK: In the lead up to your swim, what was the furthest session you swam in the pool?
SF: My longest pool swim was 12km, I tried to do a 10km session every week when time allowed. I had limited chance to get in open water this season due to work/ parenting commitments, I did manage a few 6hr swims in the lake but my training volume is much lower than people would expect.
FK: You obviously had some pretty low moments during the swim, was there ever a doubt in your mind that you would make it and have to pull out or did you know whatever happens you’d get through?
SF: I knew I wasn’t going to get out by choice. If my crew or pilot pulled the swim then I would trust their judgement, but the decision wasn’t going to come from me. I always believe you have to picture the finish and know you’re going to walk out on to the beach at the other end.
As an aside, this is what Sam told the media, about the pain she endured:
“I got to about 55km, my back fatigued, so all the big muscles in my back were just cramping. The last 15km was agony. Every so often I would have to stop swimming and curl up into a ball to bend my spine. I would just make myself think: you’re in the middle of Geneva at 4am, it’s absolutely beautiful. How lucky are you? Not many people get the chance to do this. Every time I had something potentially negative come in, I just tried to switch it.”
How’s that for mental strength! Back to our questions…
FK: Did you have to prepare for swimming when you’ve had so little sleep?
SF: I am a mum of 2 young children, I am used to surviving on very little sleep!
FK: Does the temperature fluctuate in the lake?
SF: The temperature ranges from 24-20°c which is very warm compared to UK temperatures that I’m used to. The cooler patches definitely felt cool once the sun went down.
FK: How has your body responded since finishing, are you still recovering?
SF: I am recovering surprisingly well, I actually went swimming today!
FK: How and when did you start wearing Funkita, and why did you choose the Destroyer print for the swim? Is it a lucky pair for you?
SF: I’ve been wearing Funkita costumes for a few years, I always wear the diamond back style or a bikini. I have a long torso so I find them the most comfortable suit! I chose the destroyer because it had the perfect name and made me feel really confident. It was comfortable for the whole swim and I never had to adjust it. It’s also survived being covered in nappy cream and Vaseline and looks brand new!
FK: Can you give us a quick background your swimming career? Have you always been a distance swimmer?
SF: I was a distance pool swimmer when I was younger and competed in a few open water races as a teen. I had a break from swimming and came back to it after I had my children. In 2022 I started marathon swimming and completed the Worlds longest freshwater relay with 3 other female teammates. Last year I completed Loch Awe, Loch Lomond and Loch Ness to create the Scottish triple Crown.
FK: What is next?!
SF: We’re looking for something bigger next year, I have my eye on Italy or New Zealand potentially but it depends on what the team wants, it’s never a solo sport!
Wow, what an incredible achievement by Sam. We can’t wait to see what she and team decide to take on next.
You can follow Sam at @sfarrow93