A Tongan team of four young swimmers came first in the team relays at the Apolima Strait Crossing, a 22.3km open water swim from Upolu Island to Savaii in Samoa on 11 April.

This is the longest ocean swim in the Southern Hemisphere.

Vila Day said the young swimmers swam with great heart and passion had started their swim at 6:15am at the beach of Sheraton Mulifanua. All four swimmers on the team swam the first 1500m together through the reef and out into the open ocean.

Once they reached the 1500m marker, three swimmers came onto the support boat while one swimmer continued for another 20 minutes.

Vila said they then had each swimmer exchange every 20 minutes all the way to Savaii.

"The conditions were really good, but ran through some ocean swells and a patch of heavy rain at one point, but it was a beautiful swim overall and our team kept powering through. Once they reached the last 500m marker at Savaii, all four swimmers on the team swam together to the finish."

The four swimmers, despite being tired from the 22.3km distance, sprinted the last 500m together, and this swim brought out the very best in each of them, she said.

"It has also been a great learning and bonding experience for them as they met other swimmers from Samoa and different parts of the world, and got to hear their courageous stories and share in this experience together."

The team returns to Tonga on Saturday, April 15 and will start training for the Regional Swim Competition (Pool Competition) in Suva in June. The swimmers were Finau 'Ohuafi (16), Noelani Day (13) Andrew Emberson (20) and Penisimani Mohetau (21).

Final results:

Team Malolo Swim Club, Tonga 1st 6:35:00
Team Jo Armstrong, New Zealand 2nd 7:39:01
Team Sponsored by Mexico (Samoa) 3^rd