#416 : Don't Be Prey: The 10-Year Battle to Reclaim a Life with Mark Sowerby

About this episode

Mark Sowerby shares his journey of completing the Ocean's Seven and the lessons learned from his experiences in open water swimming.

What would drive someone to voluntarily swim through the most dangerous ocean channels on the planet — no wetsuit, no cage, no way out except forward? In this episode, we sit down with Mark Sowerby, one of the few athletes in the world to complete the Ocean's Seven — often described as the Everest of open water swimming — a feat achieved by just 36 swimmers. His new film, Don't Be Prey, captures a decade-long pursuit across five continents and seven of the most brutal channels on Earth. From the freezing Irish Sea to the shark-patrolled waters of Hawaii, it's raw, unfiltered man versus nature — no protection, no shortcuts. But this isn't just a story about distance or danger. After a life-changing event leaves him searching for direction, Mark channels his anguish into purpose with the help of coach Tim Denyer. Together, they build a mindset around one simple but powerful mantra: keep the stroke steady, don't splash, keep the heart rate down — don't be prey. We go beyond the film to explore the swims that nearly broke him, the unseen moments of doubt, and what the ocean taught him about fear, patience, resilience, and staying calm when everything around you is chaos. This is a…

People in this episode

Host: Brenton Ford

Guest: Mark Sowerby

Topics covered

• open water swimming
• endurance
• mental resilience
• ocean challenges
• personal growth

Keywords

• open water swimming
• Ocean's Seven
• Mark Sowerby
• endurance
• mental resilience
• Don't Be Prey
• swimming challenges

Mentioned in this episode

Books & works: Don't Be Prey

Places: Irish Sea, Hawaii

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