NathanGratitude
Walker then updated his Facebook after completing the swim. “Yesterday I swam the 6th of the Oceans Seven swims ‘Cook Strait’ in 8 hours and 39 minutes.” He added saying the dolphins were “protecting [him] and guiding [him] home.” He claimed that it was one of the most difficult things he had to achieve and that there was behind-the scenes “drama” too. He did not tell all about his experience about every detail that went on during his swim.
What About the Shark?!
Phil, who was the coach for Walker is also a well experienced long-distance swimmer from New Zealand. He even hold the world record for completing two and three way swim of the English Channel in the quickest time. He warned Walker about the sharks as he had completed the same swim 8 times. Walker did not feel the need to inform Phil about the shark and it was not his first time experiencing a run-in with a scary sea creature.
Conquering the Oceans Seven
Other than Cook Strait, the English Channel, and the Strait of Gibraltar, Walker has managed to swim Molokai Strait, Catalina Channel, Tsugaru Strait, and the North Channel. Only 10 swimmers have achieved this and he is the only British to do so. He took 6 years to complete these 7 swims and has experienced a lot. He managed to hold his national salesman position and even funded his own swims too.
A Ruptured Tendon
When he was swimming the English Channel, Walker actually ruptured his bicep tendon. Since it was his first long-distance swim, he decided to man up and continue the swim despite the obstacles he faces. But in the end, the attempt to re-attach the fibers to the tendon failed three times. He was advised not to swim again but later Walker devised a new swimming technique!
Ocean Walker Stroke
Walker would need a strategy if he wanted to continue swimming. His typical technique was tearing up his shoulder so he needed to come up with a new way of stroking. So soon, the Ocean Walker Stroke technique that uses his core muscles came into being. This helped him swim the Strait of Gibraltar, and all the Ocean Sevens swims for that matter. Although he cannot sleep on his left side, he can still swim and break records.
Portuguese man o’ war
As he swam the Molokai Strait for 17 hours and 2 minutes, Walker met with a scary-looking Portuguese man o’ war. It stung him and left him numb for five minutes, but he continued to swim. A Portuguese man o’ war is as poisonous as a cobra snake and the sting leaves severe results. “I had to pull tentacles off my stomach, I lost feeling in my spine and I thought I’d been paralyzed. I basically had to go through three and a half hours of agony to complete the swim,” Walker said.