Open water swimmer likes to empty his mind for endurance tests

When Simon Holliday attempts to swim to Macau from Hong Kong next weekend, he won't be thinking of the 30-odd kilometres of endless strokes through some of the busiest waters in the world, the major shipping lanes he has to cross, the tidal flows and currents that threaten to push him off course, or the inescapable jellyfish stings. All things going well, he hopes to think of absolutely nothing. "There are those moments - split seconds - when you're out there and you think of nothing, and it's really wonderful. If I'm thinking nothing, it will be bliss." It's a real team effort. My team are responsible for everything; all I have to do is swim Simon Holliday It's an unusual approach, but one he hopes gets him through the 35km to Hac Sa Beach in Macau as he sets off from Peaked Hill (Kai Yet Kok) on the west of Lantau Island early on Saturday. He's aiming to break the 2005 record set by Beijing marathon swimmer Zhang Jian by completing the distance in under 10.5 hours. To achieve the feat, he will have to swim around 3.3km/h. It's achievable, but "unlikely", he admits, unless the notoriously choppy and busy waters of the Pearl River Delta "are a mill pond on the day". The ever-humble Hong Kong-based Brit has other, more important, objectives. Holliday and team - including skipper Robert "Arni" Highfield, a retired water police officer, and top ocean paddler Shu Pu - are undertaking the "Clean Cross" venture to raise HK$200,000 for Ocean Recovery Alliance (ORA) and awareness of plastics in the ocean. "As of last year, Hong Kong was still dumping 450,000 tonnes of raw sewage into the harbour every day," says Doug Woodring of ORA. "The other issue for our water is trash, and sadly there are still a lot of people who use the water or beaches but leave their trash behind, or overboard. Simon might sadly get to see and feel some of this." Funds raised will support the "Grate Art" project, bringing eight local and Chinese artists to create plaques to remind people not to dump into drains on the street which lead directly into the ocean. Although Holliday, 35, the senior learning and development manager at law firm Norton Rose Fulbright, is an experienced open-water swimmer, having swum the English Channel in 2011 in 15 hours and two minutes, this swim "is definitely going to be a stretch," he admits. The biggest concern is navigating the dangerous shipping lanes. "There are two marked shipping lanes to cross: The first he will cross shortly after leaving Lantau, then, a few hours into the swim, he has to cross the route used by the high-speed Macau ferries," says skipper Highfield. Other concerns include jellyfish and floating refuse, like tree branches. "Jellyfish are common. Simon is used to minor stings from his local training, but if he gets bad stings, that will end his swim." Finally, there's Holliday himself. "We don't want to push him beyond a reasonable point," said Highfield. Getting to launch the swim has been almost more challenging than the swim itself, as Holliday will journey through the waters of Hong Kong, Macau and the mainland. Permits have been obtained from all three governments, and detailed plans have been submitted to the marine police, customs, immigration and sports and swimming bureaux in both Hong Kong and Macau. "Last Friday alone I got 15 calls from different bureaux requesting additional information. It's been a test of my patience and perseverance," says Pu, 34, an entrepreneur, who will paddle alongside Holliday and has been responsible for the administration behind the swim. "It's a real team effort," says Holliday. "My team are responsible for everything; all I have to do is swim." The attraction of open-water swimming for Holliday - a sport he claims is "honestly really, really dull" - is about finding his limits. "People constantly put barriers around themselves. Humans have limitations, but we don't often know where they lie. "I'm fascinated with the breaking point: how many times in your life have you given something everything? This is why long-distance swimming is appealing - you get very close." Does he struggle? "Sometimes," he laughs. "After a while, you accept the circumstances that you're in and you begin to enjoy it. You feel a real sense of achievement when you complete these things." Holliday will try to get through the 10-odd hours in the water, with only swimsuit and goggles for protection, by following the old swimmer's maxim: "swim to your next feed". "I'll be fed every hour on the hour, and when it gets tough towards the end I may increase that to every three-quarters of an hour." He'll be sustained by a carbohydrate drink - a personal concoction mixed with Ribena. "And then I'll have some chocolate and jelly babies. "Once I've done seven hours, I'll just think, I have another five to go. And I know I've done that before. It's all about convincing your mind you can do it." Besides, if you consider his original plan was to swim 160km to Taiwan through shark-infested waters, a short dash to Macau doesn't seem inconceivable. "At the end of the day, it's about determination. I don't think I've been blessed with natural ability, but I do have an ability to work at things. And that's what I love about swimming." His team unanimously agree Holliday has what it takes to complete the journey. "Simon has a very pure and earthy approach to swimming … it's not about speed or competing, or fame, he simply goes in, blends in, carries on and through," says Pu, who recalls the experience of paddle-supporting Holliday in the 15km Cold Half swim in February - a feat he achieved in five hours, 44 minutes, with no wetsuit. "For this kind of distance, it's almost all in your head," says Pu. Or not, if Holliday has his way.

Open water swimmer likes to empty his mind for endurance tests

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Long-distance ace sets his sights on record for crossing from Hong Kong to gambling hot spot of Macau

Long-distance ace sets his sights on record for crossing from Hong Kong to gambling hot spot of Macau