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Kiwi Caitlin O'Reilly on becoming the youngest to swim the Ocean's Seven

09:35 am on 5 November 2024

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Photo: Caitlin O'Reilly

As far as feats go, it's impressive and one that only 33 other people have managed to achieve.

Twenty-year-old Kiwi swimmer Caitlin O'Reilly has become the youngest person ever to swim the Ocean's Seven - that is, the seven open water channel swims that are considered the equivalent of the Seven Summits mountaineering challenge.

Caitlin logged her first swim of the Ocean's Seven, Cook Strait, at the age of just 12.

The 42-kilometre Moloka'i Channel in Hawaii defeated Caitlin last year - but in late October she managed it in 13 hours and 18 minutes.

She joins Kathryn to talk about the challenge - which included a wicked bout of seasickness and encounters with sealife.