Led by Ear Science Director, surgeon-scientist Professor Marcus Atlas, the Gift of Hearing Appeal swim team took part in the annual Rottnest Channel Swim to raise much-needed funds.
Kicking off at Cottesloe Beach just before 7am, the team completed the swim in 5 hours and 50 minutes – an incredible achievement as their new record, and the first time they have broken under 6 hours.
The weather smiled down on the team as they persevered despite a shark sighting leading to many swimmers evacuating the water. “It could have been the combination of the strong easterly wind and the shark behind us that sped up our swimming,” Professor Atlas joked.
Swimming the final leg of the race together, the team crossed the finish line at Rottnest and celebrated their victory of raising more than $12,000 for the Gift of Hearing Appeal.
The Gift of Hearing Appeal raises funds to assist those in need with hearing devices such as hearing aids and cochlear implants and to provide much-needed funding for research into ear and hearing disorders, including the pursuit for a cure for hearing loss.
