Anjelika Ruggier has made history by becoming the first Maltese woman to swim around Gozo.

On Monday last week, Ruggier set off from Ħondoq ir-Rummien at 4am with 10 other swimmers participating in the Ocean Festival, an event promoting open water swimming organised by renowned ultra-distance swimmer Neil Agius.

Ruggier embarked on the gruelling 37-kilometre swim around Gozo. After 13 hours of non-stop swimming, she returned to Ħondoq, marking her place in history, according to open water swimming officials.

“The last two kilometres were tough. The currents picked up and my face had swollen up. Between the waves and how sore my eyes were, I could barely see the ladder. I just followed people’s voices to the finish line,” Ruggier recounted.

After a few hours, it becomes very difficult mentally- Anjelika Ruggier

Ruggier, a 26-year-old resident of St Paul’s Bay and owner of a dog grooming salon, has been swimming competitively for the past nine years and has participated in multiple triathlon competitions. In 2019, she came second at the Go & Fun Birkirkara St Joseph Sprint Triathlon Series.

“I took on the challenge because I was passing through a time of feeling empty. I had even been thinking about stopping swimming but, then, this challenge came up and it was the motivation I needed to fill that void,” Ruggier said.

Agius, who himself has swum around Gozo, praised the dedication required for such a feat. “When you sign up for an event like this, you have to understand that it takes a lot of sacrifice to prioritise training,” he said.

Despite regular training, Ruggier only felt ready for the swim two weeks before the event, when she managed to swim the full 37 kilometres over a weekend.

“It took a lot of perseverance. But I don’t like to give up. Even when times get tough, I tell myself, this too shall pass,” she said.

The only other known attempt by a Maltese woman to swim around Gozo was by Hannah Cutajar in 2019, who had to withdraw due to severe seasickness.

Ruggier noted that the challenge is tough for anyone, regardless of gender. “After a few hours, it becomes very difficult mentally, and that’s when the real challenge begins for anyone,” she said.