THE FUSE

Taariq Stokes may be a seasoned marathoner at heart, but his latest challenge saw him navigating more than just miles. He swam against the current to honour a legacy of love and support.

Durban, South Africa (09 February 2026) – The open road is Taariq Stokes’ natural element. A passionate sportsman usually found with running shoes tightly fastened for a marathon, Taariq recently began dabbling in new challenges, trying himself out in the iconic Midmar Mile open water swim.

He first dove in headfirst last year, clocking an impressive 36 minutes. This year, he returned for his second crossing, navigating much more challenging conditions to reach the finish line in 49 minutes.

“I woke up every single day, following a programme on the Midmar Mile website to train for this race. The training experience was tough as it came with a lot of time spent in the water. It required a lot of discipline, but overall it paid off,” Taariq tells Good Things Guy.

Though seeing his goal through was no easy feat, it was certainly worth it. Completing the swim also served as a deeply personal tribute to one of his biggest cheerleaders, his late aunt, Carmen Crawage, who sadly passed away last week from renal failure.

“Her funeral was actually the day before I swam the race. I swam in honour of her. She had a positive impact on my life. She was very loving, bubbly and friendly to people. She made me believe that it is important to show people love and to strive to be a positive influence on others,” he shares.

Sport and a heart for people are at the centre of what makes this incredible Durban athlete. Having persevered over 700km to champion men’s mental health in 2024, and last year launched his own children’s wellness holiday programme to keep kids off the streets, active, and healthy.

And even though he doesn’t consider himself much of a swimmer, his community has praised his latest accomplishment and how he has continuously shone as an example of what great things a young person from Wentworth is capable of doing and achieving.

“For someone who didn’t grow up swimming in pools, participated in zero swimming competitions or even attended a swim academy when I was young, to complete two Midmar Miles in two years is a great achievement. I’m really proud of what I’ve been able to achieve. As long as I’m healthy and able, I look forward to doing even more in the future.”

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