Ultra-marathon world-record holder Andy Donaldson has added another remarkable feat to his name, completing a record-breaking 55-kilometre solo swim along the Ord River in Western Australia’s East Kimberley. The 35-year-old Scottish-Australian finished the “Dam to Dam Challenge” on Tuesday April 28 in 11 hours and 51 minutes (pending ratification), setting the fastest recorded time and his longest solo swim to date.
Starting at Lake Argyle Dam and finishing at the Kununurra Diversion Dam, Donaldson became the first male swimmer to complete the route. The only previous finisher was Simone Blaser, who made history in 2024 as the first person and fastest female to complete the swim in 16 hours and 13 minutes.
The Ord River, home to an estimated 5,500 freshwater crocodiles, provided a dramatic and challenging backdrop for the endurance athlete. Donaldson described the experience as both surreal and spectacular.
Donaldson began his swim at 5.38am, greeted by a 2.5-metre freshwater crocodile at the start ramp. He maintained a strong pace of around 58 strokes per minute through the early hours, covering up to nine kilometres per hour before facing headwinds, “dead water” sections, and searing 34-degree heat. Supported by his coach Jay Prchal and a dedicated team across two boats, Donaldson pushed through fatigue to reach the finish line at 5.29pm.
A crowd of around 200 locals gathered at Swim Beach in Kununurra to cheer him home, celebrating a world-class achievement in one of the most remote and scenic waterways on Earth. Among his support crew were elite swim coach Brenton Ford, Kununurra Crocs Swim Club president Ben Broady, Australian representative Sam Ashby, and Simone Blaser, who joined him in the water for part of the journey.
Despite the crocodile-inhabited waters, Donaldson said he never felt unsafe.
The Perth-based endurance swimmer is widely regarded as one of the world’s leading ultra-marathon swimmers. In 2023, he became the first person to complete the Ocean’s Seven — the world’s toughest channel swims — within a single year, and he also holds the record for the fastest swim around Manhattan Island.
Donaldson said the Ord River swim was about more than records.
Kununurra Crocs Swim Club president Ben Broady, who helped organise the event, said Donaldson’s achievement had inspired the local community and showcased the East Kimberley as a destination for adventure tourism.
