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Jonathan White

Distance swimming is not everyone’s idea of fun and that is before the added mystery of the Loch Ness monster, but that is exactly what Hongkonger Man Chun-kong has signed up for.
This week the IT worker will lead a team of swimmers attempting to break the relay world record for swimming the full 36km length of the loch in Scotland.
The 32-year-old, who also holds a PhD in chemistry from the University of Munster in Germany, put his scientific past to one side when talking about the fabled beast. “I keep my mind open, to be honest,” he said. “You never know.”
He said he has read that 1,000 people claimed to have seen the monster and laughed that he might be next, but even if there is no sign of “Nessie” or a successful record attempt, Mak is looking forward to the trip.


“I feel something really wonderful is waiting for me in Loch Ness,” he said. “Even if we don't make the record we will still be proud we made the journey.”
The team of four – Mak and his three Czech teammates – will take it in turns to swim for an hour then recover on the support boat for three.
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“One of the teammates was a sprinter. I will put him as the last leg. He will probably only swim twice.”
Mak expects to swim three times and rates their chances of setting a record. “It depends on the wind. I think a 70 per cent chance. We've got the team and it’s really experienced in ice water.”
The Hongkonger’s own ice swimming experience will prove valuable in the ink-black deeps of Loch Ness. While the water is “warmer than previous years” it will still be between 13 and 16 degrees Celsius. It might not be any warmer out of the water. “The recovery of our team will be tough in the wind and rain,” Mak said.
Hong Kong’s top ice swimmer talks combating the freezing cold
“Open water swimming is my life, I would say. It’s really educated me how to be humble,” he said. He said it was all put in perspective when he helped with his coach’s solo swim across the English Channel where he could not see France from England. “You feel the power of nature when you're right in the middle of the Channel.”
That swim is shorter than the one from Fort Augustus to Lochend.
“The current, the wind, the rain of course, we have to train up to reach a certain condition but physical condition doesn’t govern all the factors. You need to learn how to be humble, to respect the weather.”

“There’s a lot of talk with the Hong Kong protests about ‘Be Water’. It has been my motto since I was 18 years old, inspired by Bruce Lee. Nowadays in the protests they talk a lot about this philosophy, but in open water swimming it really helps. It's how to be flexible no matter what conditions you get in the water – except some really dangerous situations, let’s say there are sharks, or there is lightning.”
While there are no sharks to worry about in the loch, the weather could be an issue.
“Scottish weather, typical Scottish weather. I expect every day it will rain and strong winds will blow as well. There are pros and cons. The wind will probably help us to push from the back to the front, but when the wind is too strong it can flip us. Our pilot told us if the wind doesn’t get over 20 miles an hour it won’t flip us.
Their pilot is veteran long-distance swimmer Kevin Murphy, 70, who has swam across the English Channel 34 times, earning him the title “King of the Channel”.
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That experience does not come cheap. “It costs around 2,000 pounds (US$2,431) for the piloting service, the boat everything. It’s now shared by four people. Accommodation, flight tickets, probably another 2,000 pounds.”
“If I was doing it solo I would absolutely need a sponsor, but with the relay it’s more for friendship. It’s more fun with a team.”
They launched a crowdfunding campaign on Fringebacker and are halfway to their HK$8,000 goal. “The preparation work for that might be tougher than the swim,” he joked.

Mak and his team will driving up to Inverness on Sunday night after flying from Prague, where he is based, to Edinburgh. They are expecting to get to Loch Ness around midnight before training on Monday and Tuesday.
“Wednesday and Thursday are probably the best chances we can swim,” he said.
Once they’ve done that they will celebrate with one or two “protein shakes”, as he jokingly calls beer, and maybe a touch of the local liquor.
“Whisky will be awesome. Maybe we will visit some distilleries around Loch Ness.”


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Britain

Loch Ness monster, Scotch whisky and a world record attempt lie ahead for Hongkonger leading swimming team to Scotland

Hongkonger Mak Chun-kong will lead the Loch Ness swimming team. Photo: Handout

Hongkonger Mak Chun-kong and his Loch  Ness swimming team. Photo: Handout

‘It’s understandable they say I’m strange’: Hong Kong’s top ice swimmer explains why he loves the cold so much

Mak Chun-kong enjoys the frigid temperatures of ice swimming. Photo: Handout

Chun Kong Mak.

Sport

Hong Kong


Mak Chun-kong says Bruce Lee’s ‘Be water’ philosophy is key to his open water swimming
Czech-based swimmer is more worried about the Scottish weather than any mythical beasts but keeping an open mind



Prague-based swimmer is more worried about the Scottish weather than any mythical beasts but keeping an open mind


Loch Ness monster, Scotch whisky and a world record attempt lie ahead for Hongkonger leading swimming team to Scotland

Mak Chun-kong says Bruce Lee’s ‘Be water’ philosophy is key to his open water swimming Czech-based swimmer is more worried about the Scottish weather than any mythical beasts but keeping an open mind

Mak Chun-kong says Bruce Lee’s ‘Be water’ philosophy is key to his open water swimming

Czech-based swimmer is more worried about the Scottish weather than any mythical beasts but keeping an open mind