Team Red Equipment: Conquering the Rottnest Channel Swim – The World’s Biggest Open Water Race

This article has been written by record breaking ultra marathon swimmer, Andy Donaldson, who took part in this years Rottnest Swim event.

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The moment your toes finally touch the sand at Rottnest Island after swimming 19.7km across the channel is unforgettable. All the training, dedication, and hard work culminate in that single instant as you surge up the ramp, greeted by the cheers of family, friends, and fellow competitors. The Rottnest Channel Swim is unlike any other - a test of endurance, resilience, and teamwork. But in my eyes, what truly stays with you isn’t the time on the clock but the journey itself - the people, the memories, and the incredible experiences along the way.

Swimming for Team Red Equipment

This year, I had the privilege of competing in the Team of Four category alongside an incredible lineup: Paul Laver (former solo winner), Travis Nederpelt (dual Olympian), and Robbie Bonsall (current Australian internationalist). Representing Team Red Equipment, we finished first in our category, completing the crossing in a blistering time of 3 hours and 49 minutes.

My Road to Rottnest

My own journey with participating in the Rottnest Channel Swim has been anything but conventional. Growing up in Scotland, I was a pool swimmer, only transitioning to open water after moving to Perth in 2013. By 2016, I had retired from competitive swimming, convinced that chapter of my life was over. But life has a funny way of pulling you back to the things you love. I took on a solo swim in 2021 and less than a year before that, open water swimming wasn’t even on my radar. I was enjoying a carefree existence abroad, working as a volcano tour guide in Nicaragua, far removed from the structured world of training. Then, March 2020 changed everything. The onset of the Covid pandemic forced me to abandon my travels and scramble back to Perth, uncertain about the future.

On my first day home, I bumped into old friends Martin Smoothy and Chrishan Jeyaratnum at the beach. They encouraged me to get back in the water. Despite being out of shape, I immediately felt that old spark reignite. Soon, we were swimming together regularly, talking about life, and brainstorming ways to get more adults into swimming to pursue unfulfilled dreams. That journey led me to revisit one of my own old goals, to take on the Rottnest Channel Swim solo, and that began a 10 month journey that culminated in a solo win in 2021 with a time of 4 hours and 4 minutes. Along the way, I learned invaluable lessons - chief among them that with the right support, anything is possible, and it’s never too late to chase your goals.

This Year’s Success with Team Red Equipment

Fast forward to 2024, and the same lesson holds true. Success in open water swimming is never just about the individual - it’s about the team and the incredible support around you. The incredible people around me made this year's Team victory possible, and Red Equipment played a key role in that. Their reliable, high-quality gear was vital throughout both training and race day. For me, the Pursuit Changing Robes were a game-changer - keeping us warm during our rest intervals between swims (in our Team of 4 we each cycle through 1 minute swim intervals with approximately 3 minutes of rest), conserving energy, and ensuring we could perform at our absolute best. It’s the small details that make the biggest difference, especially in a race where our winning margin was less than two minutes over a four-hour swim. Every ounce of support counts.

Lessons from the Rottnest Channel Swim

In addition to this, I’ve found the following also helped me out a lot in my own Rottnest journey:

1. The Journey is Better When Shared: Swim with others. Join a squad, connect with training partners, and surround yourself with like-minded people. Being part of someone else’s journey makes your own experience richer and more rewarding.
2. Learn from Those Who Have Been There: There’s no substitute for experience. Seek advice from past swimmers - whether it’s feeding strategies, pacing, or mental preparation, their insights could make all the difference.
3. Never Underestimate Your Support Crew: Your paddler, skipper, and team are crucial. A well-prepared and calm support crew can be the difference between success and struggle.
4. Train Smart, Not Just Hard: Growing up in Scotland, I took pride in being the hardest worker in the pool - racing through warm-ups and pushing myself to the limit every session. But one day, a senior swimmer pulled me aside and said: "Andy, hard work will get you somewhere. But smart work will get you further." That advice shaped my approach to training for Rottnest. Instead of just grinding out endless miles, I worked strategically with my coach Eoin Carroll at City of Perth Swimming Club. We focused on building fitness gradually, prioritising technique over distance early on, and ramping up volume closer to race day.
5. Train with purpose: Replicate race conditions, test your feeds, and ensure your body can handle the nutrition you’ll rely on during the swim.
6. Understand the race dynamics: As one experienced swimmer told me: "Rottnest only really starts after the 10km mark." That insight couldn’t have been more accurate. Fatigue kicks in hard at that point, and training to maintain stroke and composure under pressure is crucial.
7. Enjoy the Ride: And finally, the most important lesson I’ve learned? Enjoy the journey. It’s easy to get caught up in the pressure of performance. But the real reward isn’t just in finishing—it’s in the process. The friendships forged, the lessons learned, and the memories created along the way matter far more than any medal or record.

So whether you’re aiming for your first Rottnest crossing or looking to improve your time, remember, Prepare well, stay adaptable, and most importantly - enjoy the ride.