Despite being a member of the Scottish national swimming team, Steve “Moby” Leach thought he’d quit swimming at the age of 17. After decades on land, he said, “God, I’ve got to go swim.”
The something was bigger than he had imagined.
In 2018, 26 years after hanging up his goggles, Leach’s boss encouraged him to try an open water race. After just six weeks of training, Leach competed in the 2.4-mile race.
Despite the cramps and fatigue, Leach won his age group. He tried other races, but with the same results. In these races, he learned he preferred competing against himself rather than against others. “It was Steve vs. Steve,” jokes his wife, Kelly Leach.
Soon Leach was swimming six miles, then 12 miles, then longer distances.
In 2020, Leach decided to swim 40 miles across Lake Michigan. He set out in a kayak with family and friends, but the boat kept sinking, so Leach turned around and swam across the Michigan coastline.
Sunburned and seasick, Leach swam 28 miles in terrible conditions and felt better the next day. He calls it a “catastrophe swim” because he was unable to swim the full distance.
Leach then began seeking advice from other long-distance swimmers, learning about using earplugs in cold water and staying fueled during swims.
He soon began committing himself to what he now sees as his life’s mission: swimming ultra-long distances to raise money to help those less fortunate, especially foster children and adults in substance abuse recovery programs trying to re-enter society.
“If I’m going to swim,” says Leach in his Scottish accent, “I need to swim for other people.”
Now Leach swims to raise money for Miracle Hill Ministries in South Carolina, where funds benefit mental health counseling, foster care communities and transitional housing for adults breaking free from addiction.
Training for an ultra swim is no easy task. Leach’s weekly schedule includes 19 training sessions, including weight training, circuit training, walking and longer water sessions.
Why go to such extreme lengths? “Why not?” he asks. “It’s not just about human comfort. Give me a good reason why not.”
Comfort isn’t a concern for Leach. Last year, he attempted the Ocean’s Seven Challenge. The challenge, which began in 2008, consists of seven challenging swims ranging from 10 to 28 miles. No wetsuits are allowed, and no contact with people or boats is permitted. Only 27 people have ever completed the swim.
In April 2023, Leach completed a swim across the Kaiwi Channel from the Hawaiian island of Molokai to Oahu. Before entering the water, the lead kayaker told Leach that the wind was too strong to paddle on his right side, meaning Leach would need to change breathing sides. For the first time in more than 30 years, Leach made the change.
During the 28-mile swim, a man in a kayak was attacked by a shark repellent, he was bitten by seven man-of-war sharks, nearly run over by a fishing boat, and spent hours vomiting in 4- to 10-foot waves.
Leach completed the race in 12 hours and 54 minutes, the sixth fastest time on record at the time.
Kelly Leach is a key member of his support team. She admits she isn’t always crazy about her husband’s bold ideas. Still, she keeps him asking, “What did God create him to be, and how can he become that?” [that person]She is definitely in favor of following God.
In July, Leach will swim the English Channel, and three weeks later he’ll tackle the North Channel – both difficult swims in cold water – and as part of his training, he hasn’t had a hot shower for three years.
Kelly says she’ll be there soon, too, though this time she’ll wear an anti-nausea patch. (She felt sick on the boat, while her husband felt sick in the water.) She’s confident they’ll succeed because “Steve never stops,” she laughs.
As he swims, Leach thinks of nothing, but everything: his favorite meal, how to make a light stick for his kayak, whether bubbles are a sign that sharks are nearby.
He also prays a lot, with a recurring prayer being, “Lord, help me get through this next moment.”
“I truly believe that Jesus was not at peace when he died on the cross. So why did he do that? To serve others,” Steve says.
Miracle Hill CEO Ryan Duerk says Leach’s actions are about more than the money he raised. In a documentary about Leach’s life and extraordinary swim in Hawaii, he calls him “the embodiment of God’s love, a crazy Scotsman who swims across the ocean.” [the foster children].”
Swimming is Leach’s way of serving others. He knows not everyone is cut out for the water, but he advises young people to think about how they can make an impact, even if it’s just one life. “You never know what the ripple effect will be,” he says.
Why? Jesus modeled a life of servant, and Leach is using his talent for long-distance swimming in service.
