Imagine spending 12 hours out in the ocean? Even for great swimmers, it would be an intimidating experience for sure. Malaysian actress and emcee, Davina Goh not only swam a distance of 9km, but she also kayaked another equal distance around Perhentian Islands, in the South China Sea waters.
She did this journey as part of being the swimming ambassador of Advanced Aquatics & Zen Swim Malaysia. She took part in the Raleigh Round Island Challenge, which is in its 4th edition. The journey from May 27-29 saw her challenging herself physically and emotionally out in the open expanse of the ocean, off the coast of Terengganu.
Davina embarked on this journey in order to raise RM20,000 for a cause which is near and dear to her heart—marine conservation. Her aim was simple, and as stated on her Facebook page, Davina said, “We depend on the ocean as much as it depends on us.” With this, the actress from short films like, Baby The Rain Will Fall, urged the public and her fans to pledge on Simply Giving, to raise funds for Reef Check Malaysia and MareCet, two organisations that are involved with marine conservation.
All To Save The Ocean
Davina’s journey began as she swam out in the open expanse of the South China Sea, which she simply described as, “Being out there in the big endless blue for 12 hours, I saw so many beautiful things.” It is this alignment of thoughts that motivated the actress to push herself harder than ever before, as after completing her swim, Davina continued kayaking around Pulau Perhentian Besar.
The lass chronicled her journey on her Facebook page entitled Davina’s Epic Swimathon Challenge, in which she stated, “Swimming is making my body grow in ways I’d never imagined! I find that it has increased my general strength and stamina, and is an enjoyable low-impact exercise.” Besides swimming, Davina also included a gym routine as part of her preparation.
Despite suffering from a severe back injury, Davina completed her journey on May 29, and even admitted to The Star, “I have never done long distance swimming until now.” It just goes to show how determination and passion will propel one to complete just about anything that they set their mind to.
Davina shared on her pledge page, “Until now, I had never done any ‘-athon’ in my life. (Well, I’ve done a ‘Lord Of The Rings’ Movie Marathon before… the outcome was embarrassing.) So I will need all the moral support I can get for this swimathon! The sea means a lot to me, so this is also a unique chance for me to spread awareness about ocean conservation.”
In response, her donors were equally as proud to allow Davina to have this opportunity with some even pledging up to RM1000!
On the evening of May 30, a day after her expedition, Davina shared the joyful news on her page that she had hit her target goal of RM20,000. She quipped, “I’d be dancing around the room if my back wasn’t so sore!” She added that there are countless causes that could always do with one more person who not only believes in it, but also does something about it.
“I hope my Epic Swimathon Challenge has motivated someone out there to do something great for their community, their loved ones, or even just for themselves,” Davina said.
Featured Image Credit: Davina Goh