About Rip Davenport, FRGS | Survivor Memoirist, Speaker, Ultra-Endurance Adventurer

I’m not a champion. Not a headline. Not a polished brand.

I’m the bloke who keeps moving when it’d be easier to stay down. Too stubborn to quit, even when everything in me screams stop.

I’ve served with honour. Seen things most people couldn’t imagine. Carried weight that doesn’t vanish when the uniform comes off. Abuse broke me. Addiction wrecked me. Shame and regret kept me down for years. Online hate cut deep and left scars no one could see.

I’ve been in rooms where the silence was heavier than the past. Where giving up felt easier than going on.

Scars aren’t decorations. They’re not trophies. They’re proof, proof that you got hit, that you bled, that you fell… but you stood back up.

Endurance taught me that survival isn’t about medals or glory. Motivation fades. Applause fades. What matters is outlasting, one mile, one night, one fight at a time.

I’m not fast. Not famous. No sponsors. No finish-line crowds. And I don’t want them.

I self-fund every mile, every race, every challenge, every mistake. Because if I can’t pay for my own struggle, it isn’t mine.

This isn’t curated. It isn’t polished. It’s the truth, the scars, the failures, the comebacks, and the mornings I lace up just to see if I still can.

It’s about discomfort. Discipline. Putting one foot in front of the other. Failing. Stumbling. Still moving forward.

I speak from lived experience, of endurance, reputational harm, saving life, and the quiet work of rebuilding. My work threads survivor-led advocacy, trauma-aware practice, and the ethics of storytelling. I show how lived experience can shape research, policy, and public understanding. These aren’t just reflections. They’re tools. They’re acts of resistance.

Life doesn’t hand out neat arcs or cinematic endings. There’s no guaranteed finish-line glory. But there’s meaning in the struggle. Honesty in the scars. And power in refusing to stay down when life does everything it can to crush you.

I don’t claim perfection. I don’t claim fame. I claim my story.

I’ve crossed the Gobi Desert in Mongolia on foot, twice.

Once dragging a 240kg trailer across the steppe.

Once with camels, navigating silence, solitude, and the weight of self-reliance.

I’m a two-time IRONMAN finisher. A certified professional freediver with SSI and AIDA credentials in both pool and depth safety, trained not only to dive long and deep, but to safeguard others in the water. I’m also a dedicated spearfisherman, blending precision, breath control, and respect for the sea.

I ran the full length of Sweden, 2,000 kilometres from Karesuando to Smygehuk. Solo. Self-supported. Carrying just 8.9 kg. I completed the journey in 27 days, 5 hours, and 4 minutes, setting the record for the fastest self-supported run across the country.

I also ran 381 kilometres around Lake Vänern, the largest lake in Sweden and the European Union. Solo. Self-supported. Carrying just 7.1 kg. I finished in 109 hours.

Attempted the brutal 246km Trans Scania Ultra Trail, twice.

Faced the legendary Kullamannen by UTMB ultra multiple times.

Completed several ultra running races exceeding 100km.

I became the first person to swim Ireland’s Kenmare River, 42 km of cold, tidal water, fully unsupported, with no safety net. I’ve crossed from Gozo to Malta. I’ve twice attempted the Oresund Strait between Denmark and Sweden, and taken on multiple long-distance swims across open water beyond 10 km.

I’m an avid bodyboarder, drawn to cold swells, large waves, and the raw rhythm of the sea. It’s just pure adrenaline, excitement, and no finish lines. No ego, no race, just breath, impact, and wild joy.

I’ve spent days and weeks in remote terrain, learning patience, humility, and the rhythm of slow progress.

Some attempts have ended in triumph. Others in DNFs.

But I don’t measure success by finish lines.

I measure it by the failures I’ve faced, and the courage it took to rise again.

Because failure isn’t the opposite of success.

It’s the proving ground for it.

Every setback is a step forward in disguise.

Every DNF is a scar that says: I showed up when I could’ve stayed home. I tried when I could’ve quit.

And I’ll try again.

These efforts aren’t about medals.

They’re about testing the edge of endurance, and finding meaning in the quiet places most people never go.

I’m preparing to attempt “The Long Fin”, a 50km supported finswim powered solely by my body, using a wetsuit, snorkel, and bifins. If successful, it will be the longest documented bifin finswim on record, setting a new benchmark in human-powered endurance.

I’ll also take on a 150km unsupported staged swim across Lake Vänern, the largest lake in Sweden and the European Union. Cold water, shifting winds, vast open space. No crew. No shortcuts. If successful, I’ll become the first person to swim its full length, towing my own kayak.

In addition, I’ll attempt a third crossing of the Öresund Strait between Denmark and Sweden. This route cuts across two major commercial channels, demanding precise navigation through cold, fast-moving waters. It’s a test of breath, grit, and open water resolve.

These swims exist outside the margins of conventional sport.

There’s no manual. No blueprint. No tradition to follow.

I’m quietly carving out a new frontier of human endurance, one that demands total self-reliance, deep water resilience, and the ability to suffer without spectacle.

And, if selected, I will attempt Trans Scania again, a 246km self-supported ultra run across Skåne in Sweden.

I’ve operated as a rescue swimmer, lifeguard and medical first responder saving over 200 lives, on land and at sea where the stakes were human and the margins razor-thin.

I volunteered as a rescue swimmer and supporting medic during the migrant crisis, where I worked to save lives at sea, recovered the remains of those who drowned, and stood alongside families in the aftermath, offering comfort in the face of unimaginable loss.

Organised and trained Malta Police, Civil Defence, and Transport Malta in water rescue skills, served as supporting medic for advanced HUET, FOET and BOSIET courses, as well as training pool and beach lifeguards for three consecutive seasons.

I served as a medic for both the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting and the Maltese Presidency of the Council of the European Union, positions that required official vetting, professional accreditation, and the ability to operate within highly secure international environments.

I currently volunteer as a medical first responder (FPOS) for Malmö Municipality, providing early intervention in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest before emergency services arrive.

I served with exemplary character in the British Armed Forces, primarily in the Royal Navy and briefly with the Royal Air Force Regiment, where discipline was non‑negotiable and integrity was tested every day.

These moments weren’t about heroics. They were about presence, grit, compassion, and the kind of courage that doesn’t ask for recognition.

They’ve shaped my understanding of risk, responsibility, and what it means to stand firm when others are counting on you.
But more than anything, they’ve deepened my empathy.
The ability to listen without judgment.

To act with compassion.To understand that real strength is measured not just in endurance, but in care.

ENTER MY RITUAL

READ FULL STATEMENT

© RIP DAVENPORT, FRGS 2024 - 2025. All rights reserved.

This site is protected under GDPR and Swedish law. Coverage includes Articles 5, 6, 9, 17 & 21.
Any violation will be documented, publicly disclosed, and reported to the relevant authorities.

Yes, there’s another website out there with my name on it. No, it’s not mine.
I do not endorse, support, or stand behind any other site using my name. If it’s not this one, it’s not me.

This is the official spot:
www.ripdavenport.com

Site design, words, scars, and every rough edge? That’s me.

Disclaimer: All documentation is survivor-authored and grounded in timestamped evidence, legal precedent, and public interest. Naming is not retaliatory, it is protective. No criminal allegations are made. All citations, including IMY Case DI-2021-10584 (Swedish Authority for Privacy Protection), reflect lawful boundary-setting and survivor-led ethics.

PROTECTION & CONSENT

STATEMENT OF RECORD

LEGAL WARNING

RIP DAVENPORT, FRGS

SURVIVOR. MEMOIRIST. SPEAKER. ADVOCATE. ULTRA-ENDURANCE ADVENTURER.

SCARS ARE MY CREDENTIALS.

Survivor of online abuse and reputational harm.
I speak for the silenced, scarred, and hunted.

i don't claim perfection. i claim my story.

ENDURANCE WITHOUT APPLAUSE.

what's next in 2026 and beyond

SERVICE. COMPASSION. QUIET COURAGE.

migrant crisis: Aegean Sea

I’ve Been the First on Scene and the Last to Leave.

Rescue isn’t heroic.
It’s quiet.
It’s cold.
It’s what you do when no one else will.

legal statement & boundaries.