This year, the 2017 Karma Resorts Rottnest Channel Swim will see over 2,300 dedicated swimmers pit their endurance and team spirit against the temperamental stretch of water between Perth’s Cottesloe Beach and the ruggedly beautiful shores of Western Australia’s iconic Rottnest Island.

While swimmers are required to have their own support craft and crews, the event also receives plenty of support from the professionals – the employees and volunteers from Surf Life Saving WA. Far above, the dedicated team of the Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter will also support the swim.

An integral part of WA’s lifesaving efforts, the helicopter crew responds to many marine related emergencies every year. Exclusive to Karma Resorts, the team has volunteered to share their advice about how you can make your 2017 Rottnest Channel Swim a safe one.

#1 Always hold a Safety Brief

What makes a champion? Dedication? Yes, surely. Training? Of course. Yet for Jeremy McClure, four-time Australian Paralympian swimmer and Para-triathlete, it comes down to a state of mind.

“Whether you’re running, cycling, swimming – any form of endurance sport really – the single biggest thing to conquer is the mental aspect”, says McClure, speaking to Karma Resorts. It’s the day after Australia Day and we’ve managed to snag Jeremy for a quick chat about his latest achievement – an astonishing double open-water crossing between the mainland and the azure shores of Western Australia’s Rottnest Island.

Completing the attempt in just 14 hours and 8 minutes, McClure’s achievement makes him the first legally blind swimmer to conquer the 39.4-kilometre return journey.

McClure says the idea came about after completing his first Karma Resorts Rottnest Channel Swim in 2015.