Mostafa “Zodiac” Zaki Finds His Strength in Open Water

For Mostafa Said Zaki, better known as “Zodiac”, swimming has always been part of life. The Egyptian dentist and former water polo player spent years in the pool before discovering the very different world of endurance swimming. Here, there are no lanes, walls or predictable conditions - just open water, distance and, often, hours alone with his thoughts.

That uncertainty is exactly what drew him in. After retiring from water polo, Zaki began taking long-distance swimming more seriously and eventually started training under Dr. Mohamed Marouf, the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame inductee and holder of the still-unbroken 1993 Zurich Lake Marathon record.

Since then, his swimming career has taken him from Zurich and the Toroneos Gulf to the Red Sea, Maui and Lake Geneva. He has raced, joined conservation expeditions and, most recently, completed the English Channel crossing in 11 hours and 20 minutes.

What goes through Zaki's mind during the long hours he spends in the water? “A lot and sometimes absolutely nothing,” he says. “You stop thinking about the whole distance. You think about the next stroke, the next feed, the next hour.”

That ability to stay present has become one of the biggest lessons of the sport. Fatigue is inevitable, but Zaki has learned not to confuse being tired with being finished. During difficult moments, he says he might think about his family and friends, pray, or simply focus on his breathing and the water.

His swims have also given him something beyond medals. During the 124-kilometre Coral Swim in the Red Sea with Lewis Pugh, he swam to raise awareness for the protection of the region’s coral reefs. His 2024 Maui expedition similarly connected swimming with ocean conservation.

Along the way, he has found friendships that have lasted beyond the water. “We started as strangers, and today we are family,” he says of his longtime friend and nutrition coach Taimur Cantoni.

The English Channel, however, had been a different kind of dream. “For years, the channel existed in my mind as this legendary place, something you read about, dream about and prepare yourself for,” he says. Finally standing in Dover, he realised the moment had arrived.

Now, Zaki’s ambitions stretch even further. He hopes to pursue the Oceans Seven, while continuing to represent Egypt internationally and encourage more people at home to discover open-water swimming.

“I don't want my swimming career to become simply about collecting distances or ticking famous swims off a list,” he says. For Zaki, the bigger goal is to keep swimming with purpose and help build a stronger culture around the sport in Egypt.