Perhaps the first time we heard of a notable swimming feat; in our case this was when we heard from someone about a famous Greek legend, namely, the story concerning Leander and Hero. Leander had fallen madly in love with a beautiful, young priestess called Hero. Although they were both Greek, where they lived, they were separated by a sea channel about 30 stadia (something more than 5,700 metres, which by some quirk, is almost the same distance as our own Crossing).

Hero’s family were opposed to this lovers’ liaison, which coupled with the fact that Hero was a priestess, rendered this union virtually impossible.

But both were madly in love, and Leander asked Hero to be his wife and get together in secret. But to do this they had to hide this plan from all those who opposed their love for each other. So Leander had to swim across the strait daily at nightfall,

guided by an oil lamp which his lover tended every night and lit at the top of a tower where she anxiously awaited him, Leander then would go back just before daybreak when the tryst was over.

When winter came, Hero made a point of covering the lamp with her shawl
so that the strong winds could not blow it out.
But one night, (what a tragic one) either Hero failed to light it, or it was blown out by the strong wind, Leander could not get his bearings and hammered by the storm waves and exhausted by swimming against the wild sea, he couldn’t cope any more and finally succumbed altogether…Hero waited in vain for him all the rest of that night. Only with the first light of daybreak, she spotted, horror-struck, her beloved Leander’s body, floating at the foot of the tower.

The beautiful but unhappy Hero realised what had happened, and then out of her mind through her intense grief , jumped from the top of the tower, sinking, together with Leander in the same strait which had earlier separated them.
They say both bodies appeared as if together.

Some poet wrote:

So finally, after death,
two lovers succeeded late
to be united at last
smiling back at unjust fate

As a result of this legend, a coin or medal of the time was minted, later to be recovered to be studied in museums, and in which a swimmer is featured and that’s what provided the inspiration for our logo.