It is not hard to see why the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming is known as one of the toughest open-water swimming marathons in the world.
To complete the Triple Crown, challengers have to swim across the Catalina Channel between California and Santa Catalina (32.2km), circumnavigate the island of Manhattan (48.5km) and cross the English Channel (33.7km)—almost 115km in all. Since the first record of completion in 1987, only 400 swimmers have been officially deemed to have achieved this aquatic trifecta (as of October 2025).
INSPIRED TO HELP
Navy doctor Dr Chua Jia Long (Medicine ’16, MPH ’22) is no novice to open-water swimming challenges, being the 24th person in history to complete the 8 Bridges Hudson River Swim in 2023, considered the longest marathon swim in the world. He swam 192km to raise S$250,000 for St Luke’s Hospital (SLH).
How he came to raise funds for SLH was no coincidence. “I saw firsthand how the hospital supported patients and the community during my stint there in 2020 as a medical officer. That inspired me,” Dr Chua said. “I also appreciated how leaders such as Associate Professor Tan Boon Yeow (Medicine ’92, MMed ’00), CEO of SLH, put in time and effort to nurture me not only clinically as a physician, but as a healthcare leader as well.” Helping to fundraise was his way of giving back, he added.
He raised S$250,000 (10 times his original goal of S$25,000), a success that encouraged him to aim even higher in his next fundraiser project for the hospital, which marks its 30th anniversary this year. While the total distance to cover is shorter than the 8 Bridges swim, the Triple Crown—featuring three historically significant swims—is widely considered the Everest of open water swimming. “During this challenge, I’ll be enduring long, quiet swims—sometimes through the night and lasting more than 10 hours. That’s my way of standing in solidarity with patients who endure their own long and difficult journeys,” he said in an earlier interview for the hospital.
With the encouragement and support of his wife, Ms Samantha Chia, he began preparations in 2024, starting almost every day at 5.30am with a 4km swim in his local pool. The distances increased on the weekends as Dr Chua incrementally ramped up the duration of his swims to nine hours. To prepare for the cold waters he would have to endure, he took to taking ice baths at home and making time to train whenever he travelled for work or leisure to colder regions.
A winter trip to Korea during which the water temperature dipped to 12–13 degrees was a jolt. He said, “I quickly became hypothermic. That was a wake-up call—I wasn’t doing enough to address the cold.”
He knew this was one thing he had to take seriously, based on his previous experience during the 8 Bridges swim (he joked that when he first entered the water, muscles he never thought he had started cramping). Furthermore, he would only be wearing his usual swimming trunks, cap and goggles during his Triple Crown attempt, in compliance with the regulations.
Upon his return to Singapore, Dr Chua added visiting ice bath facilities three to four times a week to his routine, where pool temperatures measured around 4 to 6°C. “Immersing yourself in cold water never gets easier,” he mused. “But it was important to understand how my body felt and reacted in cold water, so I knew what to expect during the actual swim.”
DARKNESS AND LIGHT
Dr Chua kicked off his Triple Crown challenge with the Catalina Channel leg on 4 September 2025, which involved swimming eight hours in the dark to avoid strong winds in the afternoon. “Even though the water temperature was comfortable, the greatest challenge here was the dark—all I could see was the kayaker and [the] glow stick. How close to land, how long I’ve been swimming—I had no idea.”
He also had to contend with ‘invisible’ adversaries—jellyfish. “There was no way I could avoid them,” he recalled. “I just had to tahan and keep pushing ahead.” His medical knowledge came in handy—he had prepared an EpiPen in case of anaphylactic shock and treated the stings (“severely itchy”) with topical steroids afterward.
Thankfully, the next leg around Manhattan Island was the opposite—there was plenty to see with skyscrapers, greenery and traffic galore. Importantly, it was an opportunity to reunite with friends he made during his 8 Bridges swim in 2023. “My kayaker was one of them—he made time just to kayak for me. It felt good to be back amongst such passionate people.”
With two down and one to go—it all felt smooth sailing for Dr Chua to achieve his additional goal of breaking the record for the shortest Triple Crown. If he managed to complete the third leg within his allocated swim window, he would have done it within 14 to 17 days—well ahead of the standing record of 27 days. Even though the English Channel is the most challenging leg with its low temperatures, busy shipping lanes and unpredictable currents, he was determined to keep up the momentum.
CHANNEL CROSSING HAMPERED
The best of plans must contend with ground reality, however. “The boat captain was very frank when we got there—he told us upfront that with current weather conditions, I probably wouldn’t be able to swim at all that entire week. It was very demoralising. We were already at the tail end of the swimming season, and soon it would be too cold to swim. Plus, I had to return to Singapore for work.”
After months of preparations, it suddenly became a very real possibility that he might not even be able to complete the Triple Crown in 2025.
After discussing with Samantha, who had accompanied him throughout the marathon swims, Dr Chua decided to extend his stay in the hope of being able to swim the following week.
“We reminded each other that this was bigger than the two of us—patients and families stood to benefit if we succeeded in our end goal to raise funds for St Luke’s.”
That ultimately gave the pair the mental fortitude to keep training and refining their approach. It was his wife who cheered him on, said Dr Chua, without whose steadfast support he would not have been able to get through this setback—and the entire Triple Crown attempt. She was his sounding board, safety crew and social media manager.
During swims, she documented the process through photos and videos, and also made sure feeds were on time and in accordance with Dr Chua’s condition. Before and after each swim, they would discuss and troubleshoot issues together. “I’m grateful for Samantha’s sacrifice and generosity—I wouldn’t have been able to do this without her,” Dr Chua said.
SOUNDING THE HORN
Fortunately, their grit and perseverance paid off. The weather cleared, and after successful negotiations by the boat captain to swap swim windows with the swimmer ahead in the queue, Dr Chua was finally cleared to swim on the very weekend he was due to leave.
“The hunger to swim was quite real by then. We had waited so long for this moment, so we were determined to see it to the end,” he recalled. “Especially when factors out of our control, like the weather and generosity of others, have finally lined up.” The extra training he did in preparation for the strong waves and currents in the English Channel was also not in vain—”It’s so choppy that when the waves crash on you, it hits you in all sorts of unexpected places. But I was mentally prepared, even when the currents sometimes pushed me off course.”
The first moments he came on shore were surreal—“I saw people on the beach, and when I got out of the water, everyone stopped and stared. I didn’t think I would reach French soil last week, but now—here I am. When I heard the ship’s horn, I realised that I had finally done it.” Traditionally, a ship’s horn is sounded to signal the start and end of an English Channel swim.
To Dr Chua, one of the most striking moments was when a man came up to congratulate him (while handing Dr Chua a couple of souvenir seashells). “It was nice to have someone say it out loud, acknowledging that it was tough but you finished it,” he said. “Hearing that really drove home the reality for me.” After 22 days, almost 115km and over 30 hours in the water—Dr Chua holds the world record for the fastest Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming and is also the first and only Singaporean to complete the event.
Dr Chua’s Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming Timeline
4 September 2025
Completed Catalina Channel swim
32.2km in 11 hours, 17 minutes
10 September 2025
Completed Manhattan Island (20 Bridges) swim
48.5km in 7 hours, 56 minutes
14 to 20 September 2025
English Channel swim delayed due to bad weather
27 September 2025
Completed English Channel swim
33.7km in 12 hours, 41 minutes
BACK TO ANCHOR
Dr Chua’s efforts eventually raised close to a million dollars for St Luke’s, with the funds going toward helping more patients receive holistic care, financial aid and greater access to community care services. In thanking donors and supporters, he expressed the hope that his efforts would inspire others that anything is possible with a strong purpose, a clear plan and consistent effort.
“There are endless causes out there that need our help and contribution. But to me, it’s about finding what’s close to your heart and trying to help in whatever way you can—whether it’s time, skills or resources. That said, I don’t think there’s any need to compare. Everyone is fighting their own fight and doing things their own way.”
For the moment, the doctor is content to stay on dry land and resume his duties with the Navy. “Nothing planned for 2026, but we shall see about 2027,” he said. A possible future long-distance challenge he’s mulling over is the Oceans Seven, another open-water swim ultramarathon comprising seven swims at locations around the world (two of which he had already completed during the Triple Crown)—but he’s going with the flow for now.
5 Quickfire Questions
Pre-swim routine?
A hot flat white and apply anti-fog.
Favourite post-swim snack?
Donuts.
First thought after completing the Triple Crown?
It’s over.
Next on the open water swimming bucket list?
Another one of the Oceans Seven swim.
Tip for newbies to open water swimming?
Get a coach.
