Woman of steel, Williamstown’s Zoe Ferguson is bay-bound. She and family members are among the throng signed up for Victoria’s peak open-water swimming event to be held off Williamstown beach on December 17.
Williamstown Swimming and Life Saving Club and Swimming Victoria are hosting the second state Open Water Championships and the Williamstown Open Water (WOW) Challenge.
Ferguson, 41, came fourth at the recent Ironman Triathlon World Championships in Kona, Hawaii. “I’ve qualified for the Ironman World Championships twice … only the top two per cent in the world go,” she said.
Ferguson, who started off doing the Lorne Pier to Pub 1.2-kilometre open water swimming race, will be entering the WOW Challenge with her husband and their two children, aged 11 and eight.
More than 1000 people are expected to swim in what is the state’s only FINA-sanctioned open-water event.
Among the headlining entrants are Australian Olympic cult hero Jarrod Poort and English Channel recordholder Chloe McCardel. The life saving club is holding open water swim classes and training groups every Saturday from 8am-noon.
To register, visit wowchallenge.com.au