Miu Tanaka Completes New Norfolk Bridge to Bruny Island

First Female and Second Swimmer Ever to Conquer the 58km Derwent Ultra

Marathon Swimming Australia congratulates Miu Tanaka on the completion of the New Norfolk Bridge to Bruny Island (Dennes Point) swim, a 58km journey down the full length of Tasmania’s Derwent River. In doing so, Miu becomes only the second person ever to complete the route and the first female in history to achieve it, marking a significant milestone in Australian marathon swimming.

Starting at 12:48am under cloudy skies, Miu entered 18.2°C water with an air temperature of 13.8°C and quickly settled into a consistent rhythm, holding 48–50 strokes per minute and cruising close to 5km per hour. Over the next 17 hours, 8 minutes, she navigated tidal shifts, bridge passages, offshore winds and building chop, with water temperatures dropping as low as 16.3°C.

Despite maintaining composed technique deep into the swim, the middle stages tested her resolve. Shoulder pain developed within the first three hours, and she began feeling the cold more acutely approaching Kingston. Increasing stroke rate became difficult and fatigue setting in. Yet she remained focused on the outcome. “I knew I had to get it done,” she later reflected. “This was my dream swim.” Even in summarising the effort, her perspective was characteristically positive: “It was great. I loved it. It was hard but I loved it.”

Miu is coached by Vlad Mivec, whose guidance and structured preparation were evident in her disciplined pacing, technical consistency and mental composure across nearly eighteen hours in the water. The ability to hold form beyond 50km and finish strongly reflects both physical conditioning and strategic execution.

Supported by an experienced skipper, observer and crew who managed navigation, feeds and safety across the length of the river, Miu exited the water at Dennes Point smiling after 17:08:01, an image that captured both the magnitude and grace of the achievement.

The New Norfolk Bridge to Bruny Island route stands as one of Australia’s most demanding marathon swims, exposed to shifting tides, widening river channels and the transition toward open ocean. With this finish, Miu Tanaka has firmly etched her name into Australian marathon swimming history, setting a new benchmark for what is possible in our waters.

Marathon Swimming Australia congratulates Miu, Coach Vlad Mivec and her entire support team on an extraordinary and pioneering achievement.