Alani Ferreira may have lost count of how many times she has won the disabled race at the aQuellé Midmar Mile, but the three-time Paralympian was no less thrilled to cross the finish line first once again in her visually impaired category on the opening day of racing at Midmar Dam in KwaZulu-Natal on Saturday, clocking 21 minutes 55 seconds.
It’s been a busy few days for Ferreira, who completed the eight-mile Charity Challenge on Friday to raise funds for the National Council of & for Persons with Disabilities.
“The last 100, 200 metres, I definitely felt the lactic acid building up. But luckily I had a brilliant guide who kept me going the whole way,” she said of her guide swimmer, Patrick Lamb.
As for what the race means to people living with disabilities, Ferreira, who was diagnosed with Stargardt's macular dystrophy at the age of 12, explained: “This is a symbol of empowerment. It shows people that no matter who you are, where you come from, what you have or don't have, you can do incredible things. And I honestly think Midmar Mile is one of the most incredible events because it shows people that no matter what, you can always come and swim.”
Someone who has certainly taken that to heart is Ubo Munian, who was back for his eighth aQuellé Midmar Mile this year. Munian suffers from a rare form of motor neuron disease combined with muscular dystrophy. In 2025, he finished in just under three hours, but this year he reached the finish in 1 hour 35 minutes and 11 seconds.
“The first 400m was survival,” he explained, giving credit to his support swimmers. “The next 400 was about getting the rhythm. The 800m to 1.2km was about pushing. I’ll be honest, at the 1.4 fatigue kicked in, but I saw the finish line, and I'm proud to be an 8-miler.”
Munian also paid tribute to his wife and biggest supporter, Bash.
There were some other major milestones reached on Saturday, with Mike Pengelly, the only swimmer to have completed every edition of the aQuellé Midmar Mile, extending his record to a 53rd.
“I can't believe this myself, 53 on the trot,” admitted 79-year-old Pengelly afterwards.
“There’s a bit of wear and tear creeping in, but we'll keep the wheels turning as long as we can.
“It's been incredible, the way this race has grown… the biggest open water race in the world. What a pleasure to be part of it.”
Meanwhile, Jill “Quix” Quicke even managed a few strokes of butterfly on the way to finishing her 50th Midmar Mile.
“It was such a beautiful swim… and just so nice to finish with my sister, and all my mates who'd come down from Joburg and from other parts of the country were there cheering me on, it was really cool,” she said afterwards.
“I definitely think that I will keep going for I don't know how long, but it's in me at the moment.”
There was also more to celebrate for the Albertyns from Pretoria, who easily claimed top spot in the family race. Connor Albertyn showed he’ll be one of the top prospects for Sunday’s elite men’s race by winning in a speedy 18 minutes 17 seconds with dad Gary, who is targeting an incredible 32 miles this year, crossing the line in 20:07 and mom Megan finishing in 23:06 to collect the family title for a sixth time.
Asked whether winning 10 is part of the plan, Megan reckoned: “It's going to depend on Gary. He went a bit rogue when he did 32 miles instead of 16… So as long as he manages his crazy, I think we can keep winning.
“I'm really proud of him. I do need to say that. As much as we think he's crazy, he's an incredible athlete.”
And while Gary may be well on his way to an incredible 32 miles over the weekend, along with Reino von Wielligh, one swimmer simply happy to have finished her first ever aQuellé Midmar Mile was 11-year-old development swimmer Neliza Ojwach.
“This was my first one,” said the aspiring Olympian, who clocked an impressive time of 28:05. “It was very exciting and fun… I’ll definitely be back next year.”
The final day of racing at the aQuellé Midmar Mile takes place on Sunday, 8 February. Online entries are now closed, but those still wishing to swim can enter at the dam on the day. For more information: www.midmarmile.com
Top: Alani Ferreira
Below L-R from top: Ubo Munian, Neliza Ojwach (1st Midmar) and Sisanda Palframan (3rd Midmar), Olympic bronze medallist Bridgitte Hartley with Mike Pengelly, Megan, Connor and Gary Albertyn and Jill 'Quix' Quicke with niece Derryn Millward (L) and sister Mary Millward (R)