Abriella Bredell is not your average 11-year old. For one, last year, she became the youngest person to complete the treacherous Freedom Swim. A 7,5 km stretch of open water between Robben Island and Big Bay, it’s considered the Everest of open water swimming.

The cold water, harsh weather conditions and presence of Great White sharks makes it one of the most dangerous open swims. It’s certainly not a child-friendly zone, but on 16 December this is exactly where you would have found 11-year old Abriella Bredell completing the Freedom Swim.

Named because of its location, the stretch has inspired many to do something greater than themselves. For Abriella Bredell this was to raise funds for the Red Cross Children’s Hospital, and she achieved this, raising  R 113 000. Not bad for a 5th grader.

By no means was this a walk in the park, Abriella trained for 2 years, 6- days a week in open waters and the pool. Plus in order to qualify for the Freedom Swim she had to complete the Cold Water Classic, a triple mile in 13 degrees water and terrible conditions.

But what kept Abriella going was her inspiration, her coach Brenton Williams and the children who stood to benefit at the Red Cross War Memorial Hospital.

You can still donate to Abriella’s cause until 08 March 2018 and follow her progress on Instagram and Facebook.

Quickfire for Abriella Bredell:

Favorite subject? maths.
Favorite home-cooked meal? a be a Greek salad.
Coke or water? I would choose water.
Role model? any person big or small who has ever made a difference in this world, so there are many and I would like to meet them.
Your future job would be a…? I want to own a safe house –that will give a safe place to those who need it.

abriellabredell.co.za | Donate to Abriella’s Fund HERE