Patrícia Farias: Historic Leme to Pontal Swim
The ultra-marathon swimmer reflects on starting in the ocean, moving to ultra-distances, and her historic 10h22 Rio swim.
Patrícia Farias shares how she transitioned from pool swimming to rough open water, becoming the first woman to complete the Leme to Pontal swim. She details her training routine and her close bond with coach Renato Ribeiro.
Patrícia Farias' relationship with swimming began early, at age three, following a doctor's advice to treat asthma. After competing for Fluminense in pool swimming throughout her youth and taking a break to focus on work, her return to training sparked a passion for open water. From her first 1 km and 2 km races in the traditional Travessia dos Fortes in Copacabana, the desire emerged to focus entirely on the ocean.
A passion for rough conditions and competitive growth
In 2011, Patrícia joined Equipe Navegantes under head coach Renato Ribeiro. Her first race with the squad was a challenging 5 km event in Rio das Ostras, along Rio de Janeiro's Região dos Lagos, facing very rough seas. Rather than intimidating her, the heavy swell sparked excitement and became a hallmark of the athlete, who thrives on the unpredictability of saltwater and the technical mastery required to navigate strong currents.
Her progression in distance happened gradually along the Copa Brasil circuit. Patrícia faced moments of extreme exhaustion, such as her first 10 km race at the Aratu Naval Base in Inema, Bahia. Although finishing that race left her contemplating never swimming 10 km again, her journey in open water did not slow down: she soon began pursuing even longer distances and ultra-marathon challenges.
The invitation and preparing for the 36 km swim
The opportunity for the Leme to Pontal swim arose naturally during support training sessions with swimmer Aderbal de Oliveira. After pacing her teammate as far as Alvorada, covering 25 km, coach Renato Ribeiro posed the challenge: becoming the first woman to complete the roughly 36 km crossing along the Rio de Janeiro coastline. The invitation was readily accepted, built on a strong foundation of mutual trust between coach and athlete.
Preparation demanded a rigorous schedule of race simulations, boat training sessions, and intermediate stepping stones. In 2015, Patrícia completed the Travessia 14 Bis, and the following year, she completed the 23 km swim at Ilha do Mel. With her training cycle complete, she tackled the Leme to Pontal route in an official time of 10 hours and 22 minutes, etching her name in Brazilian swimming history.
Sharing experience and mentoring new swimmers
Today, working alongside Renato Ribeiro in managing and coaching Equipe Navegantes, Patrícia draws on her marathon swimming experience to guide newcomers. Validating each swimmer's potential and building self-confidence are core pillars she considers crucial for anyone looking to push their limits in the open ocean.