Ladies and Gentlemen, the length of the Amazon river was recently swam by a 52 year old man. We're talking 3272 miles of strokes! (Think of the drive from Seattle to Miami. Phew!) Slovenian Martin Strell, who has conquered the Missippi, the Yangtze and the Danube, took on the mighty Amazon by swimming 50 miles a day for 66 days. And, despite my thoughts that his biggest worry would be the piranha and other scary animals...the ocean currents in the Amazon were actually one of the largest threats to not being able to complete the arduous journey. Yes, currents so strong, that at times he was moving his arms and legs but traveling backwards. I can only imagine his relief on arriving in the old city of Belem to a cheering crowd! See http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/talking_point/6389845.stm for an interview, his route and more.
Interesting note: This may prove my Dad right about a long held opinion. Strell was formerly a guitar teacher at a Slovenian Music school before becoming a pro swimmer. Dad, if you're reading this, you've gotten a point in your favor.
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