Don't Be Prey review invigorating tale of swimming banker aiming to avoid being shark food

"Marathon swimming is an exercise in confronting one's own mind and developing a certain relish for it. Sowerby's Gethsemane comes during a nocturnal crossing of the Catalina Channel, where he confesses to hacking for hours through a soup of self-loathing. The documentary emphasizes the coach's role in deciding whether this torture should continue."

"The Oceans Seven is a set of brutal channel crossings around the globe designed to make participants confront their aquatic kryptonite at least twice. The physical side is daunting, with hyper-dynamic drone shots underlining Sowerby's plankton-like progress through waters where progressive hypothermia slowly makes everything worse in very miserable situations."

"Realising he can process trauma with intensive pool time, Sowerby decides that completing the other six stages of the Oceans Seven is the tonic he needs. His self-esteem in tatters and depression swallowing him up, the challenge becomes a pathway to redemption through confronting both external dangers and internal vulnerabilities."

Mark Sowerby, an Australian investment banker, turns to long-distance swimming after personal and professional crises. Following a traumatic 2015 English Channel crossing and subsequent business collapse, he pursues the Oceans Seven—seven brutal channel crossings globally. The documentary reveals that marathon swimming transcends physical endurance, becoming primarily a psychological battle against self-doubt and trauma. Sowerby confronts hypothermia, dangerous marine life, and extreme conditions across channels including Scotland's North Channel and Japan's Tsugaru Strait. His journey demonstrates how intensive physical challenges can process emotional trauma, with particular emphasis on the coach's critical role in determining whether to continue through moments of profound mental anguish.

Read at www.theguardian.com