Li Ling Yung: First Southeast Asian Woman to Swim The English Channel, 13 Hours & 34km of Sea Tides & Childhood Journey - E346

In this episode, Li Ling Yung, the first Southeast Asian woman to swim the English Channel, and Jeremy Au discussed Li Ling’s endurance swimming journey:

1. Li Ling's Childhood and Athletic Journey: Li Ling recalled securing bronze and silver as a competitive Singaporean swimmer in her childhood before moving on to other sports and hobbies. She moved to London at 19 for studies and rekindled her interest in sports in her mid-twenties due to the endurance sports culture in finance. She talked about how she started open-water swimming on the UK and later joined the Hong Kong community of swimmers, where they swim year-round even in winter when temperatures drop significantly.

2. Swimming the English Channel: Li Ling described the surreal experience of being the first Southeast Asian woman to swim across the English Channel. She emphasized the mental strength needed, particularly towards the end of the swim where she had to overcome strong currents and personal doubts. She focused on short-term goals, like reaching the next feed every half an hour, rather than the total 13 hours spent swimming. Supported by her friends and husband, she persevered and pushed through her limits to eventually swim 34km onto the shores of France.

3. Charitable Work: Li Ling and her husband chose to relocate to Hong Kong to be closer to family and friends. She shared her involvement as a volunteer coach at Splash Foundation and raised $50,000 to teach swimming to underserved communities in Singapore and Hong Kong, including migrant workers and children with special needs.

They also discussed the casual athletes’ intense training routines, the role of community in achieving challenging objectives, and endurance swimming dynamics.

Watch, listen or read the full insight at https://www.bravesea.com/blog/li-ling-yung

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