The purpose of his adventure was to raise awareness for the Up with Downs facility in George. An exhausted Schoeman, who spoke to the George Herald from inside the minibus on his way back, said the last 10km were very taxing.
"I saw the excited supporters of the George welcoming party waving to me from the top of the Sir Ernest Oppenheimer Bridge as I passed under it. I knew that I only had 10km or about two hours to go to the mouth. A howling gale came up, pushing in the fog from the sea, and the swell from the high tide forging inland was extra strong due to the fact that it had been full moon the day before. It took over four hours of backbreaking swimming to get to the end."
Schoeman said that he will take a few days to recover from his ordeal. "I have sores and infections from constantly being in the water for four months. The chafing of my wetsuit has left my skin sensitive in areas."
While he was on the river, the learners from the Up with Downs centre, parents and staff, plus learners from York High and Pearson High School in Port Elizabeth, were matching Schoeman's 2 460km expedition by swimming the exact distance in their local pools. "This was an amazing feat on their part as they did not have the flow of the river to assist them."
Schoeman's attributes his relationship with the Up with Downs centre to the foresight of his fiancée, Chanel Giles who, while in matric a few years ago, did a community project identifying the need for an upgraded facility that will care for adults with special needs.
"Together we embarked on this project as we know that it will make a difference in the lives of those that really need a sense of security for the future."
Janet Seegmuller, founder and chairperson of Up with Downs, said the publicity from Schoeman's expedition has been overwhelming. "The challenge is to channel the goodwill and admiration that he has garnered into a plan that will best benefit the cause he swam for. To show our appreciation to Schoeman and the broader community, Up with Downs will be celebrating the event with a function in the next two weeks."
Seegmuller said that hopefully the adult home is now a lot closer to reality.
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Anika Boshoff with her real-life hero Roché Schoeman, Nicole Seegmuller, Jaco Botma and Chanel Giles, Roche's fiancée who was instrumental in promoting the cause. Photo: Myron Rabinowitz
Nicole Seegmuller receives a welcome hug from Roché at the mouth of the Orange River on Sunday, while Brenda Boshoff and her daughter Anika, Janet Seegmuller and Elrina Botma huddle in the wind.
ARTICLE: MYRON RABINOWITZ, GEORGE HERALD JOURNALIST
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