Extraordinary journeys through water, pushing the limits of what's possible
📍Robben Island to Blouberg, Cape Town, South Africa
🏊7.5 km
On the 3rd of May 2014 I along with 46 other swimmers swum from Robben Island to Blouberg a 7.5km swim . The water temperture was 13 degrees Celcius and it was a sunny day and not much wind. There were both Individual and relay swimmers and you could use Wet suits if you wanted to do so. I did not use a wet suit for this swim. For me the swim was significant as my hero is Nelson Mandella and to have the opportunity to swim from where he was imprisoned and back to the mainland was a thrill. The swim took me 3 hours and 4 minutes and about 600 metres out from the end of the swim my mate Ram came out and swum and guided me into the finish of the swim. This swim would end up being my last overseas swim.
📍Bering Strait, Providenia Russia to Alaska USA
🏊86 km
In 2013 from August 4to August 11 I was involved in the first ever relay swim across the entire length of the Bering Straits from Provideniya Russia to Cape Wales Alaska USA. There were 66 swimmers from 16 countries and from 6 continents. The average temperture of the water was 5 degrees Celcius and we would swim for a total of 10 minutes in an relay format and at the end of your 10 minute swim you would high five the next swimmer and the swim would continue in a relay format. We lived on a 100 metre Russian military ship whilst involved in the swim. We endured big swells, cold, fog and the unknown North Alaskan current, but we eventually completed the relay swim on the 11th of August . Our swim was inducted into the 2020 Guiness Book of Records and we also received the 2013 World Open Water Swimming Associations Performance of the Year for 2013.
📍Malabar beach to Bondi beach Sydney NSW
🏊12kms
💝The Fred Hollows Foundation
On November 13th 2011. I did a swim from Malabar beach to Bondi beach to raise awareness and funds for The Fred Hollows Foundation. I started the swim at Malabar beach in great swimming conditions and a great weather day. The first part of the swim went well but I then encountered a current against me and I also encountered a baby whale who was also swimming with the current which I was swimming against. I did hear the baby whale when it swam past me. But eventually I got past the current against me and at Bronte beach which is the beach prior to Bondi beach, I was met by Murray Rose and also Rosa Hollows one of Fred Hollows daughters and Murray swam with me and Rosa kayaked with me and also my mate Chad Schneider swam with me and we then swam around into Bondi beach and were met by Penny Tribe of The Fred Hollows Foundation and a news crew from Channel 7 and we raised a lot of awareness and funds for The Fred Hollows foundation. I would go onto do this swim for the next 3 years but I would change the format in that in 2012 I would swim from Collaroy beach to Shelley beach and then pick up to 24 other swimmers and swim back to North Steyne beach and these 24 other swimmers would raise money for The Fred Hollows Foundation. In 2013 I slightly shortened the swim to swim from Dee Why beach and then again gathered swimmers at Shelley beach and again swam back to North Steyne beach. Again in 2014 I again did this swim and again I started at Dee Why beach and swam again and picked up swimmers from Shelley beach and again swam back to North Steyne beach. I did not continue these swims after 2014. But in 2021 through to 2024 I got involved in the newly formed Fred’s big run This is where you do any type of exercise in the month of August and you raise funds for The Fred Hollows Foundation. I mainly do swimming as my exercise for The Fred’s big run and in August 2022 I organised a 10km swim at Wrringah Aquatic centre where I got others to come along and swim with me whilst I swam the 10 kms and I got a lot of school children to be involved to swim in the other lanes. I have raised a lot of money for The Fred Hollows Foundation through my swims or Fred’s big run all the way from 2006. I have raised $120,000 for The Fred Hollows Foundation over the years from 2006 to 2024.
📍Harbour Bridge to North Steyne beach Manly NSW
🏊21kms
💝Australian Paralympic Committee
On 9th of March 2008 I decided that I would do a swim to raise awareness and hopefully some funds for the 2008 Paralympians who would be competing in the 2008 Paralympic games in Beijing China later that year. I decided that I would go in the annual swim from Sydney Harbour Bridge to Manly wharf and then I would complete that part of the swim and then I would walk across to the other side of Manly wharf and get back in the water and swim around to North Steyne beach. My aim of this swim was that I would hopefully raise some awareness and money for the Paralympics and I was very happy when at Manly Wharf I met a Paralympian who had come down to meet me at the half way point of my swim. I had in place that if when I got to North Steyne beach if the surf conditions were not great that someone would come out and swim with me into the shore. But when I arrived at North Steyne beach it was almost completely flat and I had an easy swim into the beach and I was met by my wife and 1 year old daughter at North Steyne beach. There was also a film company doing filming for a T.V programme and they asked for me to go back and do a re enactment of me finishing and I was happy to do so.
📍Cleggin Pier to Inishboffin
🏊13kms
This swim was on the 18th of August 2007 and this was my 3rd swim in consecutive weeks and I had flown from USA to Ireland after the Pennock Island swim. This swim would be of 13 kms long from swimming from Cleggin Pier in Ireland out Inishboffin Island and then we would stay on Inishboffin Island. But on the morning of the swim there was a strong head wind and big swells which we would be swimming against if we did the planned swim. We did not know that we were on the outside of a cyclone and therefore the winds were very strong. The organisers decided that we would boat over to Inishboffin Island and then do a swim from Inishboffin Island over to Inish Lyon Island . But once we got to Inishboffin Island we realised that it would not be possible to swim out to Inish Lyon Island. So the organisers decided to do a 4 laps of a course that lay in the lye of Inish Boffin Island. The water temperature I am not sure what it was but I know it was a lot colder than the previous weeks Pennock Island challenge in Alaska. The laps were about 3.2kms long and every time you got outside of the lay of Inishboffin Island you got this incredible blast of wind. After 3 laps totalling about 10kms my paddler was finding it very difficult in which to blow the whistles and direct me and at the end of our 3rd lap we left the water along with a lot of the other competitors. I think all competitors were very happy to complete their respective swims in these trying conditions.
📍Pennock Island Alaska USA
🏊13 Kms
💝American Diabetes Association
This swim was held on 12th of August a 13 km swim around Pennock Island in Ketchikan in Alaska. It would be an ante clock wise swim around Pennock Island. It would be a tidal swim where would have a current with us for the first 3 hours of the swim and then the tide would change. It was a lovely weather day with 16 degrees Celsius water temperature and a sunny 22 degrees Celsius day. I didn’t in the end have to wear a wetsuit as it was not that too cold in the water. There was a wind that was coming from the top of the Island and therefore my aim was to try and swim as well as I could do in the second quadrant of the swim when I was up against the wind. When I got to the top of the Island I knew that I would have the wind behind me and I could now use the wind to my benefit. But at the three quarter mark the tide changed and I knew that the swim would get harder from now on, but at 3 hours and 40 minutes I touched the boat which was our starting and finishing mark and I had completed the Pennock Island swim. This swim was a Annual swim but it has now stopped being done, it also served as a Awareness and fundraiser for the American Diabetes Association. I along with another swimmer went and did a Radio interview prior to the swim to talk about the upcoming swim and the importance of the American Diabetes Association.
📍Capitola Pier to Santa Cruz USA
🏊10kms
I started this swim on the 4th of August 2007 and this would be the first of 3 swims in 3 consecutive weekends in the USA and Ireland. This swim is 10kms long and is every 2 years is an actual swim event, but the year I did it was the non swim year . Therefore I organised the event myself. My aim with this swim was start early in the morning, But we were held up by fog. My paddler and I had to wait for a couple of hours before my paddler said that it was safe to go in the water. We started the swim eventually and the 10kms swim went well after the fog had lifted and there was little wind and eventually I could hear the amusement park that is at the end of the swim at Santa Cruz and I arrived at the beach near the amusement park and I was met by one of the organisers of the usual swim event.
📍California, USA
🏊31.6km
💝Fred Hollows Foundation
On the 15th of September 2006 I started my Catalina Channel swim from the Island of Catalina at Midnightand I swam for 11 hours and 33 minutes and arrived at the mainland of Los Angeles. This swim was interesting to do a swim throughout the night for the first 6 hours, even though I am blind it still felt odd starting at Midnight. My paddlers found it a bit hard at times through out the night to blow the whilstles and keep me on track. We had beautiful conditions both in the water temperture starting with 22 Degrees Celcius and reducing to 16 degree Celcius as I finished the swim. There was not much wind and the swell was in my favour and no fog to contend with. When I completed this swim I had completed the Triple Crown of Open water swimming, that being the English Channel which I completed in 1998, the Manhattan Island marathon swim in 1999 and the Catalina Channel in 2006. Not only had I become the first blind person to do so but I also became the first Australian to do so.
📍Mai Khao beach to Patong Beach Thailand
🏊22kms
This was the 5th swim of the 6th continental swim. This swim was going to be very hard for me as all of my previous swims were mainly cold water swims. This swim would be a swim of 22kms long in 28 degrees Celsius. The hard part of this swim was making sure that you got lots of fluids into you and being cooled down at every drink break. The swim started early in the morning in front of where we were staying. The wind conditions were favourable for the first part of the swim but then the wind changed and I started getting a head wind. But when we got to the head land of Patong beach, I thought I was close to completing the swim, but it is actually about 3 kms from that point into the beach. With about 100 metres to swim everyone accept my paddler got in and swam with me into the finish. When I finished the swim which was only 14 months after the 2004 Boxing day tsunami, I realised what the Tsunami must have done to this beach and the surrounding area. The swim took 7 and a half hours to complete.
📍Anzac Cove Gallipoli Turkey
🏊12kms
💝Eye Foundation
This was the 4th Continental swim in my 6 continental swim around the world. As a person who enjoys Australian history this swim meant a lot to me as I had planned to swim across the Dardanelles from Gokceada into Anzac Cove in Gallipoli a distance of 25kms long being my European swim. But on the day of the swim we had a 30 km wind against us and the boat crew that we had organised to accompanying me said that it would be too dangerous to do the swim we had planned. So we compromised to boat across to the other side and then swim down the side of where Anzac Cove is . we decided to do a 12km swim which then took the wind out of play. The fortunate part of the change of this swim was that about 400 metres prior to Anzac Cove there is a Anzac monument with the letters of Anzac printed upon then and I was able to meet the Head of the Commonwealth War graves Commission and we walked up together up the steps and I stood in front of the Z on the monument and then I got back in the water and I then swam the remaining 400 metres into Anzac Cove and I arrived right at the place that the Anzac soldiers arrived about 90 years earlier. I stood there at the end of my swim and did a minutes silence and then I swam out to where the boat was located and we then boated around to the next jetty area.
📍Vaal River South Africa
🏊26kms
This swim was the 3rd leg of my 6 continental swims around the world. The swim in South Africa was meant to be held in Simon’s Town near Cape Town but was then changed to the Vaal River near Johannasberg. This swim was hard as it was in a freshwater river and I would swim 13 kms down the river and 13 kms back to where I had started my swim. Being a freshwater river and not much buoyancy the swim as it went along became even harder and near the end of the swim I started cramping up and eventually I made it back to where I had started my swim. The swim took 10 hours and 47 minutes. I had now completed the 3rd leg of my 6 continental swims.
📍Parana River South America
🏊60kms
This was the 2nd leg of my 6 continental swims around the world. This swim was 60kms long and we had for most of the swim a 8kms current behind me. The hardest part of this swim for both me and my paddler was that every hour a 100 foot barge would come up the river against us. To avoid this barge I would have to swim across the river and then swim back across the river to continue my swim, this added a lot to the swim. The last hour of my swim was even harder for my paddler in that it was dark and I eventually finished my swim just before the next barge was coming up the river.
📍New Zealand
🏊28kms long
On March 5th 2004, I started my swim from the South Island of NZ to swim the 28Kms to the North Island of NZ. The day started out as a sunny day with not much wind and 15 degree Celcius water temperture. the swim took me 8 hours and 31 minutes. But at the 6 hour mark of the swim the weather changed dramatically and I now had 65 km hour winds and 4 metre swells. These conditions did not change for the rest of the swim. The last 600 metres of my swim took 40 minutes. There were helicopters overhead ready to winch me out of the water, the accompanying Inflatable Rubber Boat was flipping in the air around me, but as I can not see what is going on around me I just kept on swimming and listening to the whistle commands. I will always recognise that the only reason that I completed this swim was because I was blind and I could not see what was going on all around me. this would become the first leg of my 6 continental swim over a 925 day period and I believe that this was the hardest swim that I ever completed.
📍Alcatraz Island, San Francisco Bay, California, USA
🏊4.8 km
In 2003, James became the first blind person to complete a double crossing of the infamous Alcatraz I along with Gary Emich ( who has done the Alcatraz swim more than 1000 times) and a few of his mates on the morning of the 22nd of June 2003 started our swim from next to the Rowing club at San Francisco and we would swim out to Alcatraz Island and then swim around the Island and back to near the Rowing club that being a double crossing of the Alcatraz swim. The water temperture was 11 degrees Celcius and it was a sunny morning. When we got around the Island and started swimming back to where we had started I got involved in another event that were only swimming from Alcatraz Island back to the mainland and I ended up somewhere else on the mainland, but I did complete the double crossing of the Alcatraz swim. .
📍Chesapeake Bay, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
🏊7.2 km
I started this swim on the 12th of June 2003. This swim is a distance of 7.2kms long. This swim is where you swim under the span of the Chesapeak bridge in Baltimore Maryland USA. This swim is an actual race where 500 competitors swim on the day and there is 2 waves of 250 swimmers that do the swim. I was in the first wave of 250 people as I am a slow swimmer and the defending champion from the previous year goes in the second wave along with all of the other very good swimmers. I had a Kayaker who I had never met before who blew the whistle for me to guide me. We had one practice the day prior to the swim and we worked out a system that would work for us boht as there would be a lot of other swimmers in a short space under the bridge.I completed the swim and I decided not to take a drink break along the way as I thought that would be hard to do so and maybe I should have taken a drink break. But after about 2 hours 40minutes I completed the swim and I was very happy to do so. I am not sure if any other blind people have done this swim in the past.
📍Bordighera, Italy to Monaco Monte Carlo
🏊22 km
💝World Sport for Good Foundation
On the 19th of May 2003. I swam from Bordighera in Italy to Monte Carlo Monaco a distance of 22kms long and we had very good conditions for the swim with the wind being behind me. I was doing this swim for the Sport for Good Foundation and Mark Spitz was going to meet me at the finish of the swim in Monaco. But unfortunately the conditions and tides changed and I ended up taking 7 hours and 25 minutes and I finished too late for Mark Spitz to see me finish as i was too slow in swimming and on that night was the Sport for Good Foundation dinner of which Mark Spitz was involved in, I was also invited to the same function. When I finished the swim, I then quickly got changed and I did arrive at the Sport for Good dinner function a bit late. I was also invited to the next nights World Sports Awards in Monaco and I did get to meet Mark Spitz and his family and many other sporting legends from all over the world.
📍Strait of Gibraltar, Spain to Morocco
🏊14 km
I attempted this swim between Spain and Morocco on the 30th of July 2002 and I got off to a good start. This swim is 14 kms long, but after a good start, the conditions quickly changed and the tides changed and I was not making the progress that I shold have been making and as this is one of the busiest shipping lanes in the world you cant afford to be making any errors. After a while it was determined that I would not make it to Morocco and the observer pulled me out of the water and for the first time in my swimming career I had not completed an open water swim and I found this hard to take. But with the great presence of my team, I was given another chance 2 days later on the 1st of August 2002 and this time I knew that I would need to swim very well to beat the tides and this time I did beat the tides and after 4 hour and 51 minutes I completed the swim of 14 kms . This swim is not only swimming between 2 countries but swimming between 2 continents which is quite amazing. Swimming from Europe to Africa. I was very delighted to have completed the swim on my second attempt and for all of the efforts of my team to have given me another chance of completing the swim. I was the first blind person to complete the swim and the first Australian to complete the swim.
📍Palm beach to Manly beach Sydney NSW
🏊26kms
💝The Rainbow Club of Australia
I tried to attempt to do this swim in July 2001 but on the day before my planned swim there was 7 to 8 metre swells and the team decided that we would not go ahead with the swim the next day. As I was doing this swim for the Rainbow Club of Australia ( The Rainbow Club of Australia provides 1 on 1 swimming tuition for disabeld children), I was very disappointed that I had not been able to do this swim and I thought I had let down a lot of people and the disabled children. Therefore we planned to do the same swim later in the year on the 18th of November 2001. Through the assistance of my Dad I had been able to organise the then Governor of NSW to come down and meet me at the end of my swim at Manly beach in front of the North Steyne beach clubhouse at approximately 3.45pm. This swim is 26kms long and I thought that it would roughly would take me 10 hours and as I would be starting at 6am then that would nicely combine well to finish close to 3.45pm with the Governor in attendance. But on the morning of the swim I didnt factor in a lovely 20km wind behind me and this would continue with me for the whole of the day and I arrived at North Steyne beach at 1.20pm and not 3.45pm. As we had arrived very early, we decided that we would do a re-enactment of the finish and so my brother and I walked up to the end of Queenscliffe beach and swam down to North Steyne beach and we arrived right on time at 3.45pm and the Governor of NSW met us at the finish of the swim. I dont believe that we really fooled anyone that I had arrived on timefrom the original swim. After the swim I was asked to be the Ambassador of the Rainbow Club and I accepted this role and I have been the Ambassador of the Rainbow Club since 2001. Since 2009 and including 2009 the Rainbow Club of Australia has held a Malabar Magic ocean swim at Malabar beach and since the passing of Murray Rose who was the Patron of the Rainbow club for a long time, the annual Ocean swim is now called the Murray Rose Malabar Magic ocean swim.
📍North Steyne beach to Darling Harbour
🏊15kms
💝Australian Paralympic Committee
On the 1st of October 2000 I did a swim to raise awareness of the upcoming Paralympics to be held on the 18-29th of October in Sydney. My swim started at North Steyne beach and went around to Darling Harbour. I had a great weather day and I had an accompanying boat and I was fortunate to have Murray Rose and many Paralympians who would meet me at Darling Harbour. My swim went so well that I got to Darling Harbour well in advance of when I was meant to, so I went and had a conversation whilst I was in the water with my friends at Kings Wharf near Darling Harbour. I eventually finished my swim at Darling Harbour and Murray Rose and the Paralympians did meet me at the finish along with a crew from Channel 9 news.
📍Massachusetts, USA
🏊26km
💝Martha's Vineyard Aquatic Centre
This swim is 26 kms long between Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket Island which is off the coast of Boston. I did this swim with Debbie Taylor who lives in Boston and now resides on Marth's Vineyard. The swim came about after in October of 1999 I had sent my application to swim in the 25km FINA World championships event in Hawaii and my swim application ended up with Debbie and she nicely contacted me to inform me that she was not part of the FINA committee considering application forms for the World championships event, but she would forward it onto the relevant people. On the same phone call Debbie asked if I would like to come and swim with her in July 2000 in a swim to raise money and awareness of the Martha's Vineyard Aquatic centre and do a swim from Martha's Vineyard to Nantucket Island. After many months I said that I would come and do the swim with Debbie in July 2000. The organiser of the swim was Charlie Blair who ran the Edgartown harbour. We attempted the swim in the same place as where the annual Shark fishing competition was held the previous day. We needed a South West wind of 5 knots and little wind against currents for any hope of this swim being completed. We arrived for the day of the swim on the 23rd of July 2000 with exactly the conditions that we required. After not swimming to our original plan of 2 miles per hour we quickly drifted off on the worng tangent, but Charlie got us back on track and after 7 hours and 53 minutes of swimming I arrived at Nantucket Island and shortly afterwards Debbie also completed the swim. We had become the first 2 people to swim from Martha's Vineyard to Nantucket Island and to this day more than 25 years later are still the only 2 people to do this swim.
📍Manly to Queenscliff Beach, Sydney, Australia
🏊36.8 km (23 laps)
On the 12th of December 1999 I swam 23 laps of Manly to Queenscliffe beach which is a 1.6 kms for each lap totalling 36.8 kms taking about 11 and a half hours. The hardest thing about this swim was that for the entire day we had a 30 knot Southerly breeze, which meant that every second lap you would be against the wind and so you would battle for a long time against the wind and then you would turn around and swim with the wind and then in not much time you would be back to swimming against the wind. It was a mental battle the entire day. To this day it still remains a record for the number of laps completed of Manly to Queenscliffe beach
📍New York, USA
🏊46km
I started this swim on the 12th of June 1999, it is a 46 kms swim around Manhattan Island in New York and today it is called the 20 Bridges swim as you swim under 20 Bridges. The swim started at Battery Park point and you then swim into the East River then into the Harlem River and then onto the Hudson River where you finish again at Battery Park point. There were 30 individual swimmers in the event and 2 relays of 6 people as well in the event. There were swimmers from many countries and you have about a 8 knot current behind you the whole day. I completed the swim in 7 hours and 53 minutes and also I had a documentary team that made a documentary about my swim and the lead up to the swim. The documentary is 28 minutes long and in Australia is called Freestyle man, but in USA it is called Swimming with Sky Scrapers. The conditions on the day were great and in the process of completing this swim I had swum the English Channel, Perth to Rottnest Island swim and Manhattan Island swims from July 1998 to June of 1999 and now I had also completed 2 legs of the Triple Crown of open water swimming.
📍English Channel (England to France)
🏊36km
I started the English Channel swim at 8am on the 19th of July 1998 at Shakespear beach near Dover in England. Gallivant was the name of my accompanying boat. For me to be directed in the water as a blind person without touching either my boat or people on my boat, my team used a Loud hailer device of one blast for veer left and 2 short blasts to veer right throughout the swim. Again to be able to get my feeds of carbohydrate gels and water without touching the boat or anyone, my team would blow a whistle into the Loud hailer and my team would lower a long swimming pool like device with ropes attached to a an open ended syringe with my gels in it and a water bottle attached to another rope and I would breastroke up to the pole find what I required it and then throw away what I had taken and my team would take the pole from the water and get it ready for the next feed. I was feed every hour for the first 4 hours and every half an hour after that. The water temperture on the day was 17 degrees Celcius and we started in wind that was less than a Force 2 wind. It was a sunny 23 degree Celcius air temperture day. At the 12 hour mark of my swim was the critical moment of the swim when my team informed me that for the next 10 minutes that I would need to swim as hard as I could do so as I need to get passed a sandbank and if I got passed this sandbank I would miss the upcoming tide and I would have about another 2 hours swim into France. I made the sandbank and at 9.50pm England time or 10.50pm France time I completed the swim at Strouanne beach in France taking 13 hours and 50 minutes and became the first blind person to complete the English Channel and the 23rd Australian to complete the English Channel.
📍Perth to Rottnest Island, Western Australia
🏊19.7 km
I attempted the Perth to Rottnest Island swim on 6 consecutive years from 1998-2003. My times ranged between 7 hours 42 minutes in 2000 and 10 hours and 3 minutes in 2003. My first Rottnest Island swim in 1998 was on the 21st of February 1998 and I used this swim as one of my lead up swims for the English Channel swim later in 1998. In the 1998 Rottnest Island swim we had 7 foot cross swells and it was a very difficult day of swimming, but this was what I was looking for in relation to a good hit out prior to the English Channel. The water conditions are a lot warmer then the English Channel, but to have rough conditions throughout the swim in the Indian ocean and also my team also had a good hit out in relation to how we woulduse the whistles and feeding in this Perth Rottnest Island swim of which we would use later in the year for the English Channel was valuable. I completed my first Rottnest Island swim in 1998 in 7 hours 51 minutes and I was very happy with how this swim went. For next 5 years 1999-2003 I would always start my swimming year with doing the Perth to Rottnest Island swim.
Each swim represents a deliberate choice to push beyond perceived limitations, demonstrating that physical challenges don't have to define what's possible.
Every challenge is an opportunity to shine a light on important causes, particularly those supporting accessibility and vision impairment advocacy.
These swims serve as powerful examples that inspire people facing their own challenges to pursue their dreams with determination and courage.
Each swim brings together supporters, volunteers, and advocates who believe in the power of human potential and collective action.
" James delivered a powerful and uplifting Keynote presentation at the March 2026 Boutique Financial Planning Principals Association Conference. He speaks with an honest, natural style that immediately connects with the audience. Delegates described his talk as “brilliant,” “absolutely fantastic,” and “amazing,”. He is an inspirational speaker who engages with the audience and will keep everyone motivated and energised. "
Lisa Faddy
Conference organiser • BFP Executive
" James Pittar is a remarkable individual who has many achievements and is truly an inspiration. James was our Council’s 2026 Australia Day Ambassador and attended our awards event with his delightful wife Jenny. Listening to James and his incredible swimming journey left the audience in awe of all he has achieved. James was captivating in his speech, drawing everyone in with his incredible English channel swim story, even cracking a few jokes along the way. James and Jenny remained after our event and assisted with cutting the ceremonial cake and talking with members of our wonderful community. They also stayed for dinner with our committee members, Councillors and staff where James shared more of his remarkable life. A huge thank you to James and Jenny for sharing their journey. "
Kelly Pacey
Executive Assistant to the General Manager • Nambucca Valley Council
"In September 2024, under the theme Second Chances, James Pittar stepped onto The Story Room stage and quietly commanded the attention of everyone in the room. Losing his sight in his teens could have ended his athletic dreams, but James refused to be defined by his blindness. Instead, he searched for a new path and found it in the open ocean. A true quiet achiever, James shared his remarkable journey with grace and humility. His story of swimming—yes, swimming—the Bering Strait in an international relay from Russia to Alaska was nothing short of extraordinary. It wasn’t just a tale of endurance; it was a powerful reminder that resilience, purpose, and quiet determination can open unexpected doors. James’s presence on stage was magnetic. His story moved us, inspired us, and left us in awe. It was more than a story—it was a masterclass in courage and what it truly means to take a second chance and swim with it. "
Karen Sander
Story campaigner • Founder-Host of Storyroom Live
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