COMMUNITY Edited by Jenny Na (jenny@groovekorea.com)
Expat swimmer gets in deep for anti-finning campaign
One for the sharks Story by Ian Henderson / Photos by Ayesha Cantrell
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he had always dreamed of swimming across the English Channel, but the bitter reality of adult life proved that this was but a childhood fancy — it’s way too cold. So instead, Gene (pronounced Jinay) Giraudeau will have to settle for a 43-kilometer stretch between two islands in Thailand, which is actually 7 kilometers wider than the Channel. Before you start seeking professional help for our dear heroine, please be aware this bizarre feat is being done out of compassion, not lunacy. The upcoming swim is actually called a “Finathon,” and is intended to garner both funds and awareness of the act of shark finning, which is having devastating effects on ocean life. It is part of a larger campaign by Project Aware, a group dedicated to the stewardship of the seas and marine ecosystems.
110 www.groovekorea.com / May 2014
Giraudeau is a South African who has been living and teaching in Korea for several years. She started swimming at the age of three, and participated in her first race at seven, going on to national competitions. Her love of the water has grown and expressed itself in many of her pursuits over the years. She’s a certified Divemaster and underwater videographer, and participates in races all over Korea, including such unpalatable activities as swimming across the Han River. At one point Giraudeau lived on the island of Koh Tao in Thailand, where the notion of swimming around the 23-kilometer island took root in her head and became an obsession. It eventually manifested into reality, resulting in a 9-hour, 16-minute swim and making her the first person in history to circumnavigate the island. Later she organized a relay race along
‘I’m scared every day about it, but I just try to use that fear to push me to train harder and harder.’ —Gene Giraudeau the same track, raising $5,000 for the cause. This time she is only trying to raise $3,000, but she’s set her sights on something bigger — the 43-kilometer distance between Koh Phangan and Koh Tao. At 3 kilometers an hour, it is estimated to take 14 hours of uninterrupted swimming, but she’s allowing 16 hours to compensate for currents and waves. At the heart of Finathon is a cause near and dear to anyone who loves the seas. Recent estimates are that the shark population has