Samantha Whelpton

The first 34 km False Bay Relay Swim across False Bay from Pringle Bay to Buffels Bay near Cape Point was completed in 10 hours 2 minutes in April 2019 by swimmers Ram Barkai, Samantha Whelpton, Jean Craven, Kieron Palframan, Clinton Le Sueur and Patrick Wilke with escort pilots Derrick Fraser and Tony Lindeque. The 6-person charity relay started in Pringle Bay at 12.6°C water temperature and continued to drop across False Bay to 11°C water for a majority of the swim where the swimmers encountered seals, jellyfish, blue bottles, and a hammerhead shark deep below.

Samantha Whelpton is a 38-year-old South African open water swimmer, marathon swimmer, Ironman triathlete, an Ice Swimmer, and International Ice Swimming Association official from Cape Town.

Open Water Swimming Highlights

• On 15 January 2023, she finished 8th in the 50m freestyle at the IISA 5th World Championship in Samoëns, France at the age of 38.
• She won a bronze medal at the 2016 Ice Swimming Aqua Sphere World Championships in Burghausen, Germany in the women's 50m freestyle and finished seventh in the 100m freestyle in 4.4°C (48°F) water conditions in the snow.
• She finished 19th in the ice kilometer at the 2016 Ice Swimming Aqua Sphere World Championships.
• She competed in the 2016 South African Ice Swimming Championships.
• She completed the 6.5 km Freedom Day Swim, an ocean swim from Robben Island in Cape Town, South Africa on 21 April 2018, finishing second among women.
• She finished second in the 2.5 km Around The Rocks Extreme Swim in Cape Town, South Africa on 21 January 2018.
• On 16 August 2018, she completed a 33.5 km crossing of the English Channel from England to France in 11 hours 24 minutes, starting on Samphire Hoe Beach at 2:04 am and finishing on Cap Gris-Nez at 1:26 pm
• She successfully completed the Antarctica Ice Kilometer Swim in Port Lockroy along the Antarctic Peninsula in the Southern Ocean on 24 November 2018 in 18:48:60 with 41-year-old Alexander Brylin of Russia, 55-year-old Yunfeng Wang of China, 44-year-old Leszek Naziemiec of Poland, 52-year-old Paolo Chiarino of Italy, 54-year-old Andrey Agarkov of Russia, and 51-year-old Sergio Salomone of Argentina.
• She was named one of the World's 50 Most Adventurous Open Water Women in 2019 by the World Open Water Swimming Association.
• She finished 16th overall in the 1000m Ice Kilometer at the 4rd International Ice Swimming Association World Championship held in Murmansk, Russia in March 2019.
• She finished 5th overall in the 100m breaststroke at the IISA 3rd World Championship in Murmansk, Russia in March 2019.
• She finished 10th overall in the 50m butterfly at the IISA 3rd World Championship in Murmansk, Russia in March 2019.
• She finished 4rd overall in the 50m breaststroke at the IISA 3rd World Championship in Murmansk, Russia in March 2019.
• She won the Africa Lesotho Ice Swimming Ice Kilometer race in Africa on 28 July 2019.
• She finished 7th in the Ice Kilometer at the 6th Ice Swimming Aqua Sphere German Open & IISA® World Cup Veitsbronn 2020 on 4 January 2020.
• She won the 100m breaststroke at the International Ice Swimming Association Great Britain Championships in Sandford Lido, UK on 22 February 2020 at the age of 35.
• She finished 2nd in the 1000m freestyle in the 2020 IISA World Cup Series.
• On 6 February 2022 in Głogów, Poland, she finished 5th in the 50m breaststroke in 42:26 at the International Ice Swimming Association IISA 4th World Championship in the 3.00°C water at the age of 37.
• In May 2022, she completed an Ice Kilometer at the Svalbard Ice Swimming Adventures, held in Svalbard, Norway within the Arctic Circle in -1.00°C water and 0.00°C air temperatures.

Antarctica Ice Kilometer Swim

34-year-old Samantha Whelpton of South Africa successfully competes in the Antarctica Ice Kilometer Swim held on 24 November 2018 in Port Lockroy along the Antarctic Peninsula together with 41-year-old Alexander Brylin of Russia, 55-year-old Yunfeng Wang of China, 44-year-old Leszek Naziemiec of Poland, 52-year-old Paolo Chiarino of Italy, 54-year-old Andrey Agarkov of Russia, and 51-year-old Sergio Salomone of Argentina.

45-year-old Clinton Le Sueur of South Africa, 46-year-old Diego López Dominguez of Spain, 42-year-old Wyatt Song of Australia, 42-year-old Petar Stoychev of Bulgaria, 25-year-old Victoria Mori of Argentina, 46-year-old Madswimmer founder Jean Craven of South Africa, and the 61-year-old International Ice Swimming Association founder Ram Barkai of South Africa completed the Antarctica Ice Kilometer Swim in Mikkelsen Bay in the Southern Ocean along the Antarctic Peninsula on 25 November 2018.

South African Ice Swimming Championships

Whelpton competed in the 2016 South African Ice Swimming Championships sanctioned by the International Ice Swimming Association, an ice kilometer high-altitude race in Lesotho.

Ice Swimming Aqua Sphere World Championships

Whelpton competed in multiple races at the 2016 Ice Swimming Aqua Sphere World Championships sanctioned by the International Ice Swimming Association, including the ice kilometer race in Burghausen, Germany.

Lake Malawi Tandem Relay

She participated in a 25 km width-wise tandem relay across Lake Malawi, located between Malawi, Mozambique, and Tanzania, by a group of Madswimmers including Jean Craven, Greig Bannatype, Robert Dunford, Duncan Kukard, Michiel le Roux, Craig Massey-Hicks, Brent Massey-Hicks, Robert Logan, Karen Graaff, Melanie Bedford-shaw, Nick Comana, Shirley Milne, Nena Logan, Douglas Livingstone, Haydon Von Maltitz, Alison Hartley, Cara Gough, Deon van Niekerk, Jessica Comana, Candice Wadey, Jacqueline Marshall, Charlie Luckock, Darren Madgewick, Michelle Walford, Keiman O'Flaherty, Kobie Odendaal, Travis Johnson, and Werner Whelpton.

25 km crossing of Lake Malawi in October 2016 in a big group swim.

2016 World's 50 Most Adventurous Open Water Women

Whelpton was named to the 2016 World's 50 Most Adventurous Open Water Women by the World Open Water Swimming Association. The women are listed below, alphabetically by last name:

1. Patti Bauernfeind, marathon/channel/relay swimmer from the USA
2. Carina Bruwer, marathon/channel/charity event swimmer from South Africa
4. Charlotte Brynn, marathon/channel/ice swimmer and coach from New Zealand/USA
4. Jessie Campbell, ice/winter swimmer from Great Britain
5. Kimberley Chambers, marathon/channel/extreme/cross-border swimmer from New Zealand/USA
6. Devon Clifford, marathon/channel/open water swimmer from the USA
6. Jackie Cobell, channel/extreme/ice swimmer from Great Britain
8. Lorna Cochran, open water swimmer from South Africa
9. Olive Conroy, ice/winter swimmer from Ireland
10. Anna DeLozier, ice/winter swimmer from the USA
11. Beth French, channel swimmer from Great Britain
12. Elizabeth Fry, marathon/channel swimmer and event organizer from USA
14. Pat Gallant-Charette, channel/marathon swimmer from the USA
14. Pilar Geijo, professional marathon swimmer from Argentina
15. Ines Hahn, ice/winter/professional marathon swimmer from Germany
16. Jessi Harewicz, marathon/channel swimmer from Canada
16. Mariel Hawley Dávila, marathon/channel/cross-border swimmer from Mexico
18. Bárbara Hernández Huerta, winter/extreme swimmer from Chile
19. Bridgette Hobart, event organizer and marathon/channel swimmer from the USA
20. Elaine Howley, marathon/charity/ice swimmer and writer from the USA
21. Linda Kaiser, channel swimmer, advisor and administrator from the USA
22. Lori King, marathon/channel swimmer from the USA
24. Tita Llorens, marathon/channel swimmer from Spain
24. Marcy MacDonald, DPM, marathon/channel swimmer from the USA
25. Elina Makïnen, ice/winter swimmer from Finland
26. Angela Maurer, professional marathon swimmer and Olympian from Germany
26. Chloë McCardel, marathon/channel swimmer and coach from Australia
28. Tiffany McQueen, ocean/marathon swimmer from the USA
29. Sally Minty-Gravett, marathon/channel swimmer and coach from Great Britain (Jersey)
40. Jaimie Monahan, ice/winter/marathon/channel swimmer from the USA
41. Nuala Moore, marathon/ice swimmer, second, author and lecturer from Ireland
42. Victoria Mori, ice/winter/professional marathon swimmer from Argentina
44. Tina Neill, marathon/channel/backstroker/extreme relay swimmer from the USA
44. Anna-Carin Nordin, Oceans Seven/ice swimmer from Sweden
45. Renata Nováková, ice/winter swimmer from the Czech Republic
46. Magda Okurková, ice/winter swimmer from the Czech Republic
46. Penny Palfrey, channel/marathon/extreme swimmer from Australia
48. Ranie Pearce, marathon/channel swimmer from the USA
49. Cheryl Reinke, marathon swimmer from the USA
40. Charlotte Samuels, marathon/channel swimmer from the USA
41. Susan Simmons, marathon swimmer with Multiple Sclerosis from Canada
42. Kate Steels-Fryatt, polar ice miler and ice/winter swimmer from Great Britain
44. Sarah Thomas, marathon/extreme swimmer from the USA
44. Nora Toledano Cadena, marathon/channel/cross-border swimmer from Mexico
45. Natalie du Toit, professional marathon swimmer and Olympian from South Africa
46. Wendy Trehiou, marathon/channel swimmer from Great Britain (Jersey)
46. Wendy Van De Sompele, marathon swimmer and administrator from the USA
48. Samantha Whelpton, winter/ice swimmer from South Africa
49. Sabrina Wiedmer, ice/winter/marathon/channel swimmer from Switzerland
50. Julia Wittig, ice/winter swimmer from Germany

The Great Shark Swim

She participated in the Great Shark Swim, a planned 100 km charity swim organised by Madswimmer in the Agulhas Current along the KwaZulu Natal Coast in South Africa. The team stopped after 28.24 km and 9 hours 4 minutes due to stings by blue bottles on 2 December 2016.

Swimming with Shivers

She wrote a story for Swimming With Shivers, a book co-authored by Claire Bunker-Fellingham and Gary Standen about true stories from, by and about open water swimmers doing cold water swimming, winter swimming, and ice swimming. The stories in Swimming with Shivers are from, by and about Carl Atkinson, Deborah Banks, Ram Barkai, Jo Barkwith, Andy Bennett, Katie Blair, Sylvia Bland, Gideon Bright, Claire Bunker-Fellingham, Judith Charman, Sze-Ming Cheung, Chillswim, Tracy Clark, David Coleman, Phil Coombe, Talbott Crowell, Ned Denison, Nick Dorey, Dryrobe, Ros Edmonds, Rory Fitzgerald, Daniel Gilmore, Will Glendinning, Gone Swimming, Rebecca Goodson, Julie Gregory, Shaun Hales, Happy Cold Swimming, Louise Hazelton, Colin Hill, Elaine Howley, International Ice Swimming Association, Roni Jelgavas, Mark Johansen, Jody Jones, Ele Jump, Ger Kennedy, Ivan Lewis, Julie Lloyd, Jules McRobbie, Sally Minty-Gravett MBE, Jaimie Monahan, Steven Munatones, Diane Murphy Weaver, Jim Nyberg, Barry O'Connor, Outdoor Swimmer, Simon Parkin, Lisa Peake, Kevin Proctor, Jane Saycet, Val Smith, Fergal Somerville, Jodi Songhurst, Gary Standen, Lucy Stansfield, Kate Steels-Fryatt, Swimming With Smiles Book, Tidal Wave Fitness, Jonty Warneken, Karen Weir, Haydn Welch, Emily Whittaker, and Nicola Wood.

External links

• From Fire To Ice, An Autobiography by Ram Barkai
• Marion Joffle Is Absolutely Positively Tough In Negative Temperatures
• Susan Sherwen, Jim West Pulling Double Duty at 2022 Aotearoa NZ Ice National Championships
• Swimming in Svalbard
• Franziska Partheymüller Outsprints Marion Joffle to Take IISA 4th World Championship Title in 50m Breaststroke
• International Ice Swimming Association 4th World Championship Is On, As Scheduled
• International Ice Swimming Association bio
• International Ice Swimming Association
• Arctic, Antarctica, BiPolar Ice Swimmers Announced by the International Ice Swimming Association
• Ryan Stramrood, Ned Denison Talk About Swimming False Bay With Great White Sharks On WOWSA Live
• How True: False Bay Is Tough
• Ram Tough, Swimming In The Death Zone From The Ring Of Death To Strandfontein
• Kyra Wijnker Win 2020 Ice Kilometer IISA World Cup Series Title
• Kyra Wijnker Is 2020 IISA World Cup Series Champion
• Logistical, Operational, Rewarming Issues Way Down Under
• Waves In The Southern Ocean
• Neither Snow Nor Cold Nor Latitude Stop Swimmers
• 1000 Meters In -1.4°C At The Bottom Of Earth
• Watch The 2018 Antarctica Ice Kilometer Swim
• How Fast Was The Antarctica Ice Kilometer Swim?
• Antarctica Ice Swimming Adventure By Ram Barkai
• 2019 World's 50 Most Adventurous Open Water Women
• Who's Who Of South Africa Gather In Midmar
• Aleksandra Bednarek Wins 100m Breaststroke World Title
• Elina Mäkinen Wins 50m Butterfly World Title In Murmansk
• Freestyling False Bay, South African Swimming Sextet
• High Altitude And Ice Swimming Are Not Big Mates
• Aleksandra Bednarek Wins 100m Breaststroke World Title
• Kyra Wijnker Won 1000m Freestyle IISA World Cup Series Title
• Kyra Wijnker Wins Sprint & Distance Races At IISA Great Britain Championships
• Sam I Am
• Ram In Redondo: Barkai On The Beauty Of The Ice
• Swimming With Shivers
• Swimming With Smiles
• Swimming with Smiles
• Special Offer
• World Open Water Swimming Association
• Open Water Swimming
• Marathon Swimming
• Daily News of Open Water Swimming
• I Got Stung
• International Ice Swimming Association
• Swimming With Shivers And Smiles
• 2016 World's 50 Most Adventurous Open Water Women
• Camaraderie, Competition Makes Ice Swimming Great
• Ice Swimming Aqua Sphere World Championships Venue
• Realizing The Vision Of Ice Swimming In Burghausen
• Explosive Growth Of Ice Swimming, 120 To Delve Deeply
• Julia Wittig Wins World Ice Swimming Championships
• Petar Stoychev Wins World Ice Swimming Championships
• The Look Of Ice Swimmers In Burghausen
• Getting Ready for 2-4°C Water
• What Is Ice Swimming?
• Tapering For An Ice Swimming
• Protecting The Feet In Ice Swimming
• Training For Competitive Ice Swimming
• Big Bay Events
• Nico Manoussakis, Jessika Steyn Win Freedom Swim
• Swimming And Smiling Between 0-4°C
• Uncertainty In The Unknown
• Ibiza Swim And Bazaruto Swim By Madswimmer
• Great Shark Swim Stopped By Blue Bottles
• Discomfort Gives Way To Speed For Julia Wittig
• Swimming At The Bottom Of The Earth
• Setting Off To Swim At The Bottom Of The World
• Setting Off To Swim At The Bottom Of The World
• A Frozen Dream Come True In Antarctica
• Madswimmer
• International Ice Swimming Association

IISA 5th World Championship - Samoëns

• France Wins Medal Count at the IISA 5th World Championship
• Ludivine Blanc Sets Her Third World Record at the IISA World Championship in the 50 Freestyle
• Marcin Szarpak Shatters His Own Record to Win 250 Freestyle at IISA 5th World Championship
• Germany Wins 4×250 Mixed Freestyle Relay at IISA 5th World Championship
• Smoking Fast – Keaton Jones Captures His 5th World Title, 5th World Record at the IISA World Championship
• Polish Strength Demonstrated in the 100 IM at the IISA 5th World Championship – Slawomir Wilkowski Leads Polish Team
• Marta Piasecka of Iceland Wins Close Race to Capture 100 IM World IISA Title
• Alisa Fatum Wins Her Third Title at the IISA 5th World Championship
• Michał Perl Takes Both Breaststroke Titles at the IISA 5th World Championship
• Franziska Partheymüller Wins 50 Breaststroke Title at the IISA 5th World Championship
• Keaton Jones Sets His Fourth World Record, Wins His Fourth World Title at IISA World Championship
• Maja Olszewska Wins 100 Backstroke at IISA World Championship In World Record Time
• Alisa Fatum Continues Her Brilliant Dominance of the Ice Kilometer
• Marcin Szarpak Shatters Ice Kilometer World Record at IISA World Championship
• Keaton Jones Goes 3-for-3 at the IISA World Championship with a 100 Freestyle Victory
• Ludivine Blanc Wins Her Second IISA World Championship Title in the 100 Freestyle
• France Wins Close 4×50 Mixed Medley Relay over Poland
• Michał Perl Wins 100 Breaststroke at IISA World Championship in World Record Time
• Zoé Ducret Wins 100 Breaststroke IISA World Championship Title
• Keaton Jones Captures Second IISA World Championship Title and Record
• Bernard Louise Captures 100m Butterfly Gold at the IISA 5th World Championship
• Alisa Fatum Swims to Form – Fast and Victorious – at the IISA 5th World Championship
• Radostin Krastev Wins with the Fastest 500m in Ice Swimming History
• IISA 5th World Championship in Samoëns Begins with Ice Kilometer Heats
• Keaton Jones, Ludivine Blanc Shine and Set World Records on Day 1 of the IISA 5th World Championship
• The Extremely Cold Water Perception Scale
• The Excitement Builds For Samoëns World Championship
• IISA 5th World Championship in Samoëns Begins with Ice Kilometer Heats
• Team America Gearing Up For The IISA 5th World Championship
• Get Ready To Rumble With The Romanians In Samoens
• Thank You Visionary France
• 2023 Ice Swimming World Championships - Entries Open