Would You Swim the English Channel for 22 Hours at 17? Brianna Thompson Did—Here’s What Came After
Some people do impossible things once in their life.
Brianna Thompson did it before she finished high school — then did it again. And again.
At just 17, Brianna became the second youngest person in history to complete a double crossing of the English Channel, swimming from England to France and back again in a single, unbroken swim lasting 22 hours and 37 minutes. She also became the youngest to swim the English Channel three times in a single year.
But beyond the world records and headlines lies a deeper story. One of bravery, burnout, self-discovery — and coming back when the spotlight fades.
In this exclusive episode of Why’d You Think You Could Do That?, Brianna joined me, Sam Penny, to reflect on the glory, the pain, and the truth of what happens when your impossible goal is suddenly behind you.
Here’s what we uncovered.
🏊♀️ A Start in the Shallows
Like many Aussie kids, Brianna was tossed into swimming lessons before she could form full sentences.
“I was actually doing gymnastics as well,” she told me, “but I had to choose. And I chose swimming.”
By 13, she was crushing 800m and 1500m freestyle events. Long-distance was her thing. Her coach at the time, Mick Lewandowski, noticed her passion and introduced her to open water swimming.
It wasn’t long before the seed of something bigger was planted.
“I saw this guy on Instagram,” she said. “He’d swum the Channel at 17. I turned to my mum and said, ‘If he can do it, why can’t I?’”
That question became her driving force.
🇫🇷 2018: The First Crossing
While most teenagers were planning schoolies, Brianna was planning a Channel crossing. She trained through Year 12, building up to 60–75km weeks in the water — not just pool laps, but open water swims up to 6 hours long.
At 17, she landed in Dover. The water was 17°C. No wetsuit. No music. No support swimmer until the final stretch.
“My shoulder seized halfway through,” she recalled. “I couldn’t lift my arm. But I didn’t think of stopping.”
After nearly 12 hours of swimming, she touched the rocks at Cap Gris-Nez in France.
“I climbed out, sat on the rock, and just said… I’ve done it.”
🌀 Then Came the Twist
On the boat ride back to Dover, still buzzing from her achievement, her coach casually asked: “Would you ever consider a double crossing?”
Her answer?
“Yeah… maybe.”
That maybe turned into training for another 12 months. This time with longer hours, higher stakes, and far fewer people to look to for guidance.
🔁 2019: The Double Crossing
Brianna launched into the water at 2am. The darkness of the Channel wrapped around her as she pushed toward France.
The first leg was brutal.
“The jellyfish were everywhere,” she said. “I was getting stung constantly. It freaked me out.”
Despite her fears, she reached France. But she didn’t celebrate — because she wasn’t done. She turned around and swam back.
“The return leg was surreal. The tides whipped me sideways, and I kept hallucinating that the moon was a lamppost. I thought it was a marker for the English shore.”
After 22 hours and 37 minutes, she stood back on British sand, legs barely working, and asked herself a question few will ever get to:
“Did I actually just do that?”
💥 Life After the Headlines
Then came the silence.
“I’d had all these swims lined up,” she told me. “Loch Ness was next. Then COVID hit. Pools shut. Travel stopped. It was like the world hit pause on me.”
Brianna, once on TV and even featured on Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? thanks to the now infamous story about losing a layer of her tongue in saltwater, found herself without purpose.
She wasn’t the only one. But unlike others, she’d tasted an elite level of achievement before even becoming an adult — and now had to figure out what came next.
🧠 The Mental Game of Coming Back
Bravery isn’t just about doing epic things. It’s also about showing up again when nobody’s watching.
“When you lose momentum, you lose clarity,” she said. “It wasn’t about the swim anymore. It was: who am I now?”
Working in hospitality, juggling odd hours, and trying to rekindle a love for swimming meant rebuilding from scratch.
But the pull of the water never left.
🏔️ What Bravery Looks Like Now
When I asked Brianna how her definition of bravery had changed, her answer was honest and grounded:
“When you’re young, you feel invincible. You don’t think about logistics or money or failure. You just go. Now? Bravery is deciding to show up anyway. It’s making the call, planning the goal, finding the courage when it’s not easy.”
Her new challenge?
The Cook Strait — a wild stretch of water between New Zealand’s North and South islands, known for strong currents, icy temperatures, and yes, sharks.
“It’s only 26K,” she shrugged, laughing, “but it’s rough, and the great whites are definitely more common than in the Channel.”
💬 Her Advice to You
Not everyone’s goal is to swim 68km without stopping. But everyone has something big they want to go after — and fears holding them back.
For those people, Brianna offers this:
“You don’t know unless you try. You’ll figure it out in the first moment. Take the step, get in the water, and see how it feels.”
And one more gem from her old coach:
“You’re only as good as the effort you put in. The effort you put in reflects how good you want to be.”
🌊 More Than a Swim
This isn’t just a story about a swimmer. It’s a story about courage, reinvention, and the power of a decision.
Whether you're a founder in the fog of burnout, a parent rediscovering identity, or someone staring at a big, cold metaphorical ocean — Brianna’s story reminds us that the first step into the unknown is always the hardest… and the most important.
🎧 Want to Hear the Full Story?
Click below to listen to the full episode on Why’d You Think You Could Do That?
👉 Listen to the full episode here
📺 Or watch on YouTube
📲 Follow Brianna's Journey:
-
Facebook: Brianna’s Channel Swims
-
Instagram: @brianna.t17
🔖 Final Thought
At 17, Brianna said yes to something most people would never dream of. At 23, she’s saying yes again — this time with more wisdom, more scars, and even more determination.
That’s what bravery looks like.