Open Water Africa
Open Water Africa is Africa’s gateway for the intrepid open-water enthusiast, working with leading specialists in open-water safety and event planning. As well as organizing and observing open-water swims across southern Africa, they recently have become an accredited partner of the World Open Water Swimming Association, tasked with overseeing and ratifying swim crossings of Lake Malawi (aka Lake Nyasa), which is part of the Stillwater 8 Open Water Challenge. The organization is managed by open-water swimming veterans Howard James, Derrick Frazer and Walter Muggleton.
Oldest person to swim across Lake Malawi
The oldest person to swim across Lake Malawi (aka Lake Nyasa) is Pat Gallant-Charette (USA, b. 2 February 1951), who was aged 72 years 109 days when she swam the 23.5-km (14.6-mi) distance from Cape Ngombo to Senga Bay on 22 May 2023. Her total swim time was 13 hours 5 minutes 5 seconds during which she was piloted by Isak Jacobus Steynberg and Carnelis Frank Lotter, and observed by Walter Muggleton. The swim has been ratified by Open Water Africa and the Marathon Swimmers Federation.