When it comes to crossing things off a to-do list as a teenager, Amber-Rose Berry is unique.
The Cape teen only turned 19 in mid-September, yet she’ s already made history by becoming the youngest South African woman to complete the famous English Channel swim, crossing from England to France in August.
Born in Scarborough, raised in Fish Hoek, having lived in Pringle Bay and currently competing for Clifton Lifesaving Club, the ocean truly runs through her veins.
But even before her latest feat, she was already permanently etched into aquatic folklore. She swam the daunting Robben Island crossing at the tender age of 13 and did the fearsome 32km False Bay crossing from Miller’ s Point, Simon’ s Town to Rooi Els near Pringle Bay three years later – recognised by the Guinness Book of World Records as the youngest woman to do so.
Introduced to the sport through the Nippers lifesaving circle, she was known as“ the chick who just does everything”.
“ I was a pool swimmer who also played water polo, hockey, indoor hockey, rode horses, did drama, played the violin, rode motocross etc. The only thing I didn’ t really do was running,” she explained.
A boarder at Rhenish Girls High because of the school’ s swimming pedigree, she soon graduated from pool to marathon swimming and also discovered that she had more than one string to her bow and was actually quite smart.
“ Everyone put me into a box of‘ the swimming one’ but I finished high school with five As which showed that I can put in the hard work in more than one area.”
Her open water journey began early in life, even though she initially didn’ t like getting water in her eyes,“ but I always felt more comfortable in the sea than the pool”.
Berry’ s first open water competition was aged 11 while on holiday in Jeffreys Bay, Eastern Cape.“ Everyone else in the family was doing something – my dad and brother were doing a motorbike enduro event, my mom was looking at doing a run, so I borrowed a cap and goggles, got into a 10 º C ocean as the youngest entrant and swam a mile event.”
Prior to that she’ d never swum more than 400m at one time, but one thing led to another and she started doing all the open water mile events around the Western Cape, sometimes doing three events in a day –“ a 5km super early, 3km in the afternoon and then a mile in the evening”.
By the age of 13, Berry had already done two Robben Island crossings, getting close to the benchmark time of 2 hours. The next year, she’ d swum around Cape Point and done plenty of swims in the cold water of Langebaan Lagoon in preparation for her next big milestone, the daunting False Bay crossing.
In 2023 she had found“ the most incredible coach in the whole world, Clinton le Seuer” and after initial misgivings they set their hearts on tackling False Bay.“ I’ d moved to Pringle Bay and Bass Lake gave me great training.”
Berry had never swum more than about 10km at a time, but on 3 December a window opened up, and off she went. 33km and 9 hours 40 minutes later, she was one of the first five women to complete the swim.
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“ Two boats pulled out due to suspected bad weather, but it turned out to be perfect.
“ I started in the dark and swam into the sun.”
It might not be common knowledge, but Berry is a self-confessed ocean nerd.“ I just love everything about ships, their cargo, their routes etc, so my absolute best moment was when I hit the international crossing line. The ships pass so close that it seems they’ ll drive right over you.”
Just after five hours into the swim, hypothermia started setting in, and it was one of her passions that helped her back on course.“ This huge ship came past with such a big wake that there were actually waves. It felt like I was back swimming in the surf, which I love … Muscle memory kicked in and it felt so nice to do something different from the last six to seven hours and that picked up my spirits.”
The French coast came closer, but there was literally a sting in the tail.“ There were jellyfish in English waters, but they don’ t sting. France has barrel jellyfish. I’ ll say shamelessly that at this stage I was so brain-numb and bored that I wanted to see if they stung – they did! It felt like I was swimming through a wall of jellyfish and got stung all over my arms and hands. I had to try and keep my head up to avoid my face being stung.”
After 10hr 27min and 33km she scrambled up onto a rock and became the youngest ever SA woman to swim the channel.
“ My mom was on the boat and when I clambered on board and gave her a huge hug, I felt like I had the energy to swim back to England!”
Another feat crossed off her to-do list. But what’ s next for SA’ s own Aquawoman superhero?
“ My next challenge will be racing at Lifesaving World Champs in Gqeberha this December – and then I’ d love to give something new a try – maybe like a HYROX or a Half Ironman or something.”
Heads up – even though this tearaway teen has already made history, you wouldn’ t bet against her doing both of the above and more.
“ To be in the Guinness Book of World Records is flipping cool.”
But reality was never far away.“ I had to wake up the next morning and write a maths exam, like people do when they’ re young,” she giggles. But onto the big one, the challenge of the channel.
“ Weather conditions have to be right for the swim, and the time waiting is known as the Dover Coaster, the emotional rollercoaster of emotions while you wait. www. modernathlete. co. za 17