What a wonderfully crazy thing to do at midnight!

Simone Blaser, a 45-year-old South African born swim coach, will set off from Lake Argyle Dam in the beautiful East Kimberley at midnight tonight, 14 September, and swim 50km to the Diversion Dam in Kununurra to raise money for WA charity Swim for Refugees.

Simone Blaser

“As far as we are aware, this is the first time anyone has tackled the entire length of the Upper Ord River,” said Simone. We think she must be right. Who in their right mind would do this!

“I’m a little nervous but also excited about the prospect of swimming in uncharted territory. This is a truly unique place in the world, and I feel incredibly fortunate to be able to swim in this stunning and pristine body of water.

“The red cliffs, untouched nature, and rugged beauty are a testament to the wonders of our state, and they inspire me to push my limits for a cause I deeply believe in.”

Born in South Africa, Simone moved to Switzerland at the age of eight. However, it wasn’t until she emigrated to Australia in 2008 with her partner Danny that she discovered her love for open water swimming.

She has since taken part in the Rottnest Channel Swim in teams and duos and completed multiple solo crossings, while her swimming resume also includes the 26km Lake Zurich Marathon (Switzerland) and Palm to Shelly Beach (New South Wales) swims.

In 2022, when the Port to Pub was cancelled amid the pandemic, Simone took all her months of training to the Swan River where she completed her own ultra-marathon “Lizzie to Lefty”, swimming from Elizabeth Quay to The Left Bank, Fremantle, in 8 hours and 15 minutes. She finally got to complete the official 25km Port to Pub ultra-marathon the following year.

Her 50km swim in Lake Kununurra, as the lower part is known locally, is Simone’s biggest swim to date but she said the biggest question on everyone’s lips was not about the distance, more the local wildlife.

“Saltwater crocodile sightings are extremely rare in that stretch of water, but I will be sharing the lake with freshies,” she said. “Hopefully they won’t pay too much attention!”

In preparation for her swim, Simone has been swimming distances of up to 50km a week, with her training peaking with a gruelling eight-hour session in the pool. However, she said knowing she is swimming for a good cause has kept her motivated.

Swim for Refugees is a volunteer organisation that was set up in Perth in 2016 to teach refugees and asylum seekers to swim. The organisation runs men’s, children’s, and women’s only classes and hosts an activity centre for youngsters while their parents learn to swim.

“Many people who come to WA seeking shelter and refuge come from places where they’ve never had the opportunity to learn to swim,” said Simone, who has so far raised more than $6,000 for the charity. “Swim for Refugees helps welcome these people to Perth, gets them involved with their local community and teaches them the critical life-saving skill of swimming, giving them an opportunity to embrace the lifestyle here safely and without fear.”

Simone first met the team from Swim for Refugees at Fremantle Leisure Centre, where she works as a customer service officer alongside running swim retreats around Australia under the banner Swimwild Escape.

For more information look here or to find out more about Swim for Refugees look here .

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