South African teen sets English Channel record

The 18-year-old completed the 33km crossing from England to France in an unofficial 10 hours and 27 minutes Eighteen-year-old Amber-Rose Berry has made history after becoming the youngest South African woman to swim the English Channel.

Berry completed the gruelling 33km open-water crossing from England to France in an unofficial time of 10 hours and 27 minutes on Sunday, August 23.

Her time is still subject to ratification, but if confirmed, it would place her well ahead of the average 12 to 14 hours taken to complete the crossing.

She began her swim from Shakespeare Beach in Dover at 5.27am and reached the rocks at Pointe du Riden, near Cap Gris-Nez in France, at 3.54pm.

The achievement came despite a series of challenges during the crossing, including painful jellyfish stings, strong currents, cold water and the wake of a passing ship.

“That was bloody tough,” Berry said shortly after completing the swim.

“But I was motivated by the opportunity I was given to complete this swim.

And by the fact that, by finishing, so many opportunities would be afforded to student-athletes like myself.” Berry’s mother, Karen, who supported her aboard the escort vessel Sea Leopard, said her daughter faced one of her toughest moments just beyond the halfway point.

“She was tired and cold, and there was still so far to go,” Karen said.

Huge congratulations to Amber-Rose Berry on completing her solo swim at just 18 years old! Well done to all on Sea Leopard Charter https://t.co/3YrZI4wGUu pic.twitter.com/zPPRRfcFcb — Channel Swimming Association (@CSAswimmers) August 23, 2026 However, Berry’s training and determination helped her push through.

She was also forced to battle the huge wake created by a ship, which her mother said appeared to give her renewed energy.

“Funnily enough, that just seemed to energise her,” Karen said.

Berry trained for months under the guidance of open-water swimming coach Clinton le Seuer.

During the crossing, she fed regularly, taking liquid nutrition every hour for the first two hours before moving to feeds every 30 minutes.