Australian endurance athlete John Van Wisse aiming to break record for swimming from one side of Loch Ness to the other
An Australian ultra-swimming hall of famer has landed in Inverness as he attempts to break the record for the fastest time to swim the length of Loch Ness.
John Van Wisse is no stranger to big challenges, winning championships and breaking records all over the world over the past three decades.
He is also no stranger to the Scottish Highlands, having helped his sister swim the length of Loch Ness in 1999 in a record time in a wetsuit.
The criteria is slightly different now, and Van Wisse will not be able to wear a wetsuit as he attempts to break the record of nine hours, 25 minutes and 37 seconds on a date between August 16 and 24 – with a final decision to be made depending on conditions on the day.
That was set in 1995 by Rachel Godburn, and Van Wisse has been working hard to prepare for the 25.6 mile (36.3 kilometre) challenge.
“They go by English Channel rules, which is a normal pair of speedos, a cap and goggles,” he told ABC Melbourne presenter Andrew Hansen.
“You can’t touch the boat when you’re feeding either, so it’s very old-school.
“I bought a chest freezer – a two metre electric freezer – so I’ve been putting that at minus one or minus three, sledgehammering the ice and sitting in the ice in that for half-an-hour each day. It is Chinese torture, it gets worse and worse.
“I’ve been doing 10k swims every Thursday in the bay without a wetsuit too to try and get my tolerance up, and I’m hoping it will work out.
“I’m hoping to get that record. I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but that’s what I’ve been training for.
“I know it’s going to be a tough record to beat. That one was set in 1995 without a wetsuit, so a lot of things come into play like the wind and how cold the water is.
“Every degree makes a difference to your speed, because the colder it gets the slower you go. The blood supply in your arms reverses and you lose power, so every degree is going to make a big difference with your performance and not just finishing.”
While Van Wisse was discussing the venture on air, a listener sent in a simple question: why? However, the endurance athlete did not have a simple answer.
“I wish I had a logical answer, but I don’t,” he said.
“I wish I was a sprinter, but I’m no good at sprinting, so I have to take on these challenges to get half decent results.
“While you’re doing it you always question why you’re doing it, and when you finish it’s more of a relief than anything else, but hopefully it pays off.”
Presenter Hansen also asked Van Wisse if he was worried about being thrown off course by the Loch Ness Monster, to which the swimmer replied: “I’m hoping that she’s a vegetarian!
“I’ve actually been over there in 1999, and it’s very eerie. The water is black and very deep, so you do get the vibe there could be something in there.
