Five teams joined thousands of swimmers toughing it out shore to shore
This year, Mader stepped up as Naming Sponsor for the 2026 Mader Port to Pub to celebrate the event’s 10th anniversary. Mader had five teams take up the challenge: two teams of six, two teams of four and one solo swimmer. Each team put in the work, committing to weeks of training and early morning starts to prepare to tackle a 19.7km stretch of ocean from Leighton Beach to Rottnest Island.
This sold out event saw thousands of swimmers, hundreds of boats and an even bigger army of supporters join forces for one of Western Australia’s toughest and most iconic endurance challenges.
While race day had clear skies and calm waters, Ash Cutter faced one of the day’s toughest challenges: a solo swim. She said the nerves really hit when she pulled into the carpark the morning of the race.
“I sat in the car and thought, this is really happening. That was a really nerve-wracking moment. But when I walked to the starting line, I saw some close mates that I had been training with and I knew that we were all in the same boat. No pun intended. We were all going through it together,” she said.
Ash spent 10 gruelling hours in the water, toughing it out through sickness and fatigue to reach the finish line. It was the thought of seeing her mates cheering her on that kept her pushing through stroke after stroke.
“Everyone that has been part of my swimming journey, from my coach to my family and friends, was there waiting for me to finish. Seeing everyone as I came into shore gave me so much pride in myself and made the past several hours in the water worth it,” she said.
Chris Neates competed for the first time as part of a team of four and said crossing the finish line was one of the toughest and best things he’s ever done.
“Running out of the water and seeing the Mader name everywhere and your workmates there waiting for you at the sidelines to congratulate you really makes it all worth it. The day out in the water was tough, but everyone kept the energy high and was cheering each other on to keep toughing it out. I’m already locking in for next year, and know I want to challenge myself to go from a team of four to a duo,” he said.
An event of this size and scale requires serious behind-the-scenes effort, with hundreds of hours of planning and an ocean of people to make it all happen, including medical teams, safety crews, choppers in the air, and support boats in the water, all working to keep everyone safe.
Ceiny and the wider Port to Pub crew had our team’s back the entire way, helping them train, sharing advice on how to prep for the crossing to get the most out of the day, and giving everyone the confidence to get out there, have a crack and push themselves out of their comfort zones.
Mader is proud to back an iconic WA event that brings people together, lets you test your limits, and gives back to the wider WA community, with this year’s event raising more than $56,000 for Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation to help sick kids and their families access critical care.
To all the legends involved, thanks for an epic day. Bring on 2027!