The Cadiz Freedom Swim is an extreme 7.5 kilometres (4.7 mi) open water swimming race from Robben Island to Big Bay,[1] Bloubergstrand, Cape Town, South Africa.
It takes place annually close to Freedom Day (27 April, the date of South Africa's first democratic elections in 1994 when Nelson Mandela was elected President, marking the end of the Apartheid era and the freedom of the people).
[2] The Cadiz Freedom Swim is recognised as one of the world's most extreme sea races due to the extremely cold water of the Atlantic Ocean (averages around 13–14 °Celsius), unpredictable sea and weather conditions, and the presence of great white sharks.
[citation needed] The first officially recorded Robben Island swim happened in 1909 when Henry Charteris Hooper swam from the island to the old Cape Town harbour, it took him 6 hours 55 minutes to swim the distance of about 11 km.
The event was held for the benefit of Vista Nova School.