The 49-year-old has juggled sessions in Warrnambool’s icy currents with regular training at Aquazone in preparation for a 10km swim in Fiji next month.

He will be joined by fellow Warrnambool swimmer Wendy Freudenstein for the Mana Island event.

After months of braving icy water temperatures in Warrnambool, Sheely said he was excited to tackle the warmer currents of the South Pacific.

He’s hopeful of qualifying for a 20km ocean swim on Western Australia’s Rottnest Island with a strong performance in Fiji.

“I’ve been training without a wetsuit all winter and I think your body reacts differently to warmer water,” Sheely said.

“I reckon hydration and that will be important for that distance.

“But I think I’ll enjoy just swimming in a bath to be honest. Warrnambool is hard work to swim in winter. Anybody who says differently is lying.”

Sheely’s longest ocean swim was from Frankston to Mornington – an 11km circuit – while he has also tackled a swim from Bondi Beach to Watsons Bay in Sydney.

He also recently returned from a cold water camp hosted by high-profile open water swimmer Chloe McCardel in the Australian Capital Territory.

“I did six hours in the water and covered 18.5km at that camp,” Sheely said.

“I’m hanging onto that half a kilometre. I enjoy the open water swimming more, but that’s probably because I’m not the best pool swimmer.”

Sheely expected the Fiji swim to test his mental capabilities.

“I reckon it’s 90 per cent mental, 10 per cent physical. That’s a challenge I enjoy,” he said.

“Poeple ask what you think about when you’re in the water for so long – but one of my advantages is that I’m not a deep thinker.

“That makes it a bit easier for me.”