species . “ Talitha swam for the turtle rescue , rehab and release project , run by the Two Oceans Aquarium Education Foundation , while Alison swam for the Dyer Island Conservation Trust , aimed at African penguins and sharks . I swam for the SA Shark Conservancy , based in Hermanus , which does everything from education to conservation , as well as research of Southern African sharks . That means not just the Great whites , but also the little guys , like the Pyjama , Sevengills and Bronze Whalers ,” says Leigh .
“ The Robben Island swim went well , so we ’ re looking to do it again this year , but this time I want to do it without a wetsuit . The distance is not the challenge , it ’ s the cold that gets you , and I have huge respect for those who do it without a suit . I ’ m also planning a fundraising swim at the end of March to support Shark Spotters . I am going to swim inside the Shark Spotters Fish Hoek Exclusion Net , which means I ’ ll only have about 250 metres to work with until I reach the distance I want , representing the number of shark species in False Bay . We ’ re still looking at the numbers , so we ’ ll either focus on the more commonly seen sharks , about 13 or 14 , or if we look at all the species that can and have occurred in the bay , we ’ re looking closer to 17 or 18 .”
“ I ’ m looking to get the Fish Hoek Lifesaving Club , Fish Hoek High School and my False Bay Adventure
Swimming group involved , as well as the exclusion net crew , who are mostly underprivileged guys employed by Shark Spotters , and who are now doing swimming lessons . They will all form teams , and I ’ ll swim solo , and people can sponsor us to try to swim as far as we can on the day . Sport attracts attention , and you can use that as a platform to educate people , so that ’ s my motivation . I want to educate people about this special ‘ collection ’ of shark species right here on our doorstep .”
Stronger by the Day
Fortunately , Leigh ’ s latest follow-up scans have shown that she is doing much better now . “ The bone scans show that my density has increased , so I am running a bit more , and feeling stronger . I think the endurance swimming has really helped , because it gives my body more time between running to recover , and splits the load . But I still need to be careful , because my 30-year-old bones are not as strong as they should be . Still , I am grateful for this journey , this experience , this ocean . My life ’ s greatest challenge , however , is to refrain from doing anything monumentally stupid that will result in another fractured femur !”
Diving with Hammerheads in the Bahamas
You can read more from Leigh in her blog , The Running Shark , at https :// leighdenecker . wordpress . com . In her blogs , she delves into her passion for the oceans , animals , mountains , fitness and adventure , and discusses how she uses physical training as spiritual , mental and emotional therapy .
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