Nathalie Pohl Becomes First German Woman To Conquer The Cook Strait

28-year-old Nathalie Pohl of Germany completed the sixth stage of the Oceans Seven with a fast 6 hour 33 minute crossing of the Cook Strait in New Zealand.

Cornelia Rustemeyer writes about her March 1st crossing, "It seems as if neither a cyclone, nor an earthquake, can stop Natalie. Her ambition is limitless: In her third attempt, Nathalie managed to cross the Cook Strait as the fastest European woman in history.

The passage between Ohau Bay on New Zealand’s North Island and Arapawa Island on its South Island is considered particularly dangerous. Only 130 swimmers have successfully made the crossing. In addition to being a busy shipping lane, there are often sharks to contend with and significant seismic shifts on the seabed, which can cause dangerous currents.

The Cook Strait is also known for its rough seas. Strong currents can add many hours to the swim. As Nathalie experienced twice before, New Zealand’s forces of nature are something to be reckoned with. She had to abort her attempts in both 2019 and 2020 after struggling against the current for hours, sometimes even swimming backwards.

Her motivation was all the greater this year. But she had to worry about her crossing for a long time. Extensive rainfall caused flooding in New Zealand. Then cyclone Gabrielle and an earthquake made her start almost impossible. For more than three weeks, Nathalie waited for better conditions. Meanwhile, she continued to train in a disciplined manner, but the uncertainty was not an easy situation, especially mentally.

She said, 'New Zealand did not make it easy for me. It wasn't sure until the end whether I would be able to compete at all. Staying focused over such a long period of time was a real challenge. Even during the swim, the conditions were far from ideal. The weather suddenly changed again. I am just happy that I made it after all.'

Nathalie is characterised in particular by her iron will. 'In open water swimming, the most important thing is your mental strength. No matter how well you have prepared, there will always be a residual risk. Mastering such a challenge with nothing but the strength of your own body results in such an adrenaline rush for me.'

Her success was preceded by months of preparations. To get ready for the crossings, Nathalie completed extremely intensive training that went far beyond just the swimming itself. In addition to hundreds of hours in the water, she also engaged in special strength training and exercises to prepare her for the cold and darkness."



Her trainer Joshua Neuloh explains, “In December, we prepared for the Cook Strait in Portugal. We were in the Atlantic, facing two-meter waves, a water temperature of 16°C and bad storms. There were no boats out. Even the Portuguese Navy had kept its fleet in port. But Nathalie was out there, training hard.

Finally, food is a major topic. In the water, Nathalie has to eat every 30 minutes due to the enormous exertion. With such high waves as those she experienced in New Zealand, even just being able to eat something is a major challenge."

Rustemeyer continued to discuss Pohl's goals, "Nathalie has once again shown that all these deprivations and years of training have paid off. The Cook Strait crossing marks Nathalie’s successful completion of the sixth of seven stages on her way to attaining the Oceans Seven – the world’s toughest long-distance open water swimming challenge. The seventh stage in the icy North Channel between Ireland and Scotland is planned for September. If it all goes to plan, Nathalie can crown herself Queen of the Seas. She would be the 23rd person in the world, as well as the first German woman and youngest swimmer, to complete this challenge."

For more information about Nathalie Pohl, visit her website here.

By Steven Munatones.
Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and Editor of the KAATSU Magazine. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), Dale Petranech Award for Services to the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (2022), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007 and 2010), and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984, awarded to the senior whose interests are not bounded by academic or institutional structures. A joyous, deeply-rooted affirmation of life, disdain for the purely conventional; a love of adventure, and desire to learn by experiencing; the ability to respond creatively to difficult situations). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee (until 2011) and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, a 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff including 4 FINA World Championships, and 2008 NBC Olympic 10K Marathon Swim commentator.