Kazakh Woman Completes 21km Lake Balkhash Swim in Over 11 Hours
Astana resident Zhannat Katarbayeva has become one of the few women in Kazakhstan to swim across Lake Balkhash. Together with other swimmers, she covered a distance of 21 kilometres, spending more than 11 hours in the water, reports a 24KZ correspondent.
Footage of the swim has been widely shared on social media. It shows 46-year-old Astana resident Zhannat Katarbayeva completing an ultradistance swim across Lake Balkhash. The challenge was part of an international swimming competition. Twelve amateur athletes started the race, but only nine reached the finish line due to strong waves. Zhannat was determined from the very beginning.
Zhannat Katarbayeva, swimmer:
- Physically, I felt strong enough, but I realised that the real battle takes place in your mind. Of course, there were moments of frustration when I wanted to give up. There was nothing but endless water and waves around me, and I started feeling sorry for myself. Those thoughts began around the eighth hour. Even when I had only 500–600 metres left, I kept swimming and lifting my head to look ahead, but the shore seemed to be getting further away rather than closer. Still, willpower and determination prevailed.
Zhannat finished the race in 11 hours and 10 minutes. During the swim, participants followed a support boat. They received food and drinks directly in the water every two kilometres. A support team member passed them a sports drink using a landing net. After that, it was back to swimming through the waves. Holding on to the boat or climbing aboard was strictly prohibited. A marathon of this level requires extensive preparation, and Zhannat began training a year in advance.
Zhannat Katarbayeva, swimmer:
- I took the preparation very seriously because, naturally, I was a little scared. The 21-kilometre distance was intimidating. At first, I swam three times a week and went to the gym twice a week. In the second half of the year, we increased my swimming sessions to four times a week. Eventually, I was training six days a week and taking one day off.
Zhannat is an amateur swimmer. She first took up swimming six years ago to improve her fitness. A lawyer by profession and a mother of two daughters, she became so passionate about the sport that she began taking on increasingly demanding challenges. Her first major test was a 4.5-kilometre swim in Lake Borovoe. She later completed several 10-kilometre swims at Kapshagay Reservoir and also covered 14 kilometres in Lake Orta in Italy.
Author: Polina Zachinalova
