For many of us, the idea of a relaxing holiday conjures up images of sandy beaches (didn’t I go to school with her?), tan lines, and some sort of fruity, alcoholic drink with that stupid little umbrella in it. For Slovenian marathon swimmer Martin Strel, it’s buckets of blood, flesh-eating fish, and severe body cramps. On February 1st, Strel plans to hop into the Amazon River and swim 3,375 miles from the starting point at Atalaya, Peru to the Atlantic Ocean.
“My escort boats will carry all the time buckets of fresh blood to pour in the water in case the piranhas or other fish attack me,” he told Reuters in a January 19th article.
Gosh, buckets of fresh blood. Doesn’t that sound like fun?
If there ever was a person to do it, it’s Martin Strel. He holds several records for previous swims, including the length of the Danube (1,866 miles), the Mississippi (2,360 miles), and the Yangtze, (2,487 miles). The Amazon swim, if completed, will break his own long distance swim world record.
Best part is, you’ll be able to follow along live at AmazonSwim.com starting February 25th, when Martin enters Brazil. We’ll be sure and post a reminder once that date comes closer. Until then, good luck, Martin!