South African swimmer Amber-Rose Berry has become the youngest woman from her country to cross the English Channel, completing the 33km journey from England to France in an unofficial 10 hours and 27 minutes.
The 18-year-old left Shakespeare Beach in Dover early on August 23 and reached Pointe du Riden near Cap Gris-Nez that afternoon, overcoming cold water, strong currents, jellyfish stings and the wake of a passing ship.
“That was bloody tough,” Berry said afterwards, adding that raising opportunities for fellow student-athletes helped motivate her through the ordeal.
The achievement follows her record-breaking 33km False Bay crossing at just 16 and came exactly a century after Gertrude Ederle became the first woman to swim the English Channel. Berry also used the challenge to raise more than $7,000 for scholarships enabling disadvantaged Eastern Cape student-athletes to attend Rhodes University.
Huge congratulations to Amber-Rose Berry on completing her solo swim at just 18 years old!
Well done to all on Sea Leopard Charterhttps://t.co/3YrZI4wGUu pic.twitter.com/zPPRRfcFcb— Channel Swimming Association (@CSAswimmers) August 23, 2026
