Anel Sytdykova

Anel Sytdykova (or Anel Stydykova or Anel Stydekova) is an open water swimmer from Almaty, Kazakhstan.

Open Water Swimming Highlights

• In November 2024, participated in the Antarctica Ice Swimming Adventure, an ice swimming expedition led by Ram Barkai in Antarctica.
• On 4 August 2025, completed a 36.5 km crossing of the North Channel from The Gobbins in Northern Ireland to Portpatrick, Scotland under the escort of pilot Jerry McGrady, finishing in 16 hours 21 minutes in 14.6°C water. This was her third attempt at the North Channel.
• Between 25-28 April 2018, she attempted all four stage swims of the SCAR Swim Challenge in Arizona (15.2 km Saguaro Lake + 14.4 km Canyon Lake + 26.4 km Apache Lake + 10 km Roosevelt Lake), finishing three of them.
• She completed the Saguaro Lake crossing on 25 August 2018, the Apache Lake crossing on 26 August 2018 and the Roosevelt Lake crossing on 28 August 2018. She did not complete the Canyon Lake crossing on 26 August 2018.
• On 21 August 2019, she completed a 33.5 km crossing of the English Channel from England to France in 15 hours 15 minutes with escort pilots Andy and James King and observer Andrew King for which she received the 2019 Channel Swimming Association Award for the Female Pioneer Swim and the Swimmer from a New Country.
• On 15 June 2022, she completed the 45.9 km 20 Bridges circumnavigation swim around Manhattan Island in New York.
• On 5 August 2022, she completed a 32.3 km crossing of the Catalina Channel from Santa Catalina Island to the Palos Verdes Peninsula in 18 hours 19 minutes 37 seconds to become the first person from Kazakhstan to swim across the Catalina Channel, and the first swimmer from Kazakhstan to complete the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming.

Lago Titicaca Swim Expedition

She participated in the Lago Titicaca Swim Expedition on Lake Titicaca in Bolivia in March 2026 and attempted a 15.2 km unassisted skin swim in 16°F water at 3,811 meters between the shores of Copacabana to the foot of the ruins of the 15th century Temple of the Sun.

External links

• Swimming at 3,811 meters in the 16°C Waters of Lake Titicaca
• A Jacqueline of All Trades, McClelland Inducted in the Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame
• Three Is A Charm For Brenda Norman, Jonathan Wall, Anel Sytdykova In The North Channel
• With infinity and Beyond
• Four to Swim the North Channel with Infinity
• Channel Swimming Association
• Stefan Reinke Outduels Serbo Simeoni On SCAR Day 1
• S.C.A.R. Is Like Night And Day
• Jamie Ann Phillips Forges Into Lead In Apache Lake
• Reinke Hangs On, Jamie Ann Phillips Swimming Strong
• As Night Falls, So Does Men's Record. Jamie Ann Phillips Leads Way With Stefan Reinke
• Ram Barkai Sets the Pace With Heart at the Antarctica Ice Swimming Adventure
• Martha Wood, Lynton Mortensen at the Bottom of the World: Day 3 Success of the Antarctica Ice Swimming Adventure
• DNF (Did Not Fail) in Antarctica Today - Tomorrow Is Another Day
• When The Water Warms Up to -0.4°C, This Group Is Happy
• The Ice Calls Way Down Under. Ram And Friends Oblige