Amazon Swim

• Swam 68 days
• Swam (3798 km) (2360 miles)
• Start Date: July 4th, 2002 - (U.S.A. Independence Day)
• Finish date: September 9, 2002
• Swim start time: 11:30 a.m.

Interesting Fact: This swim encompassed crossing (10) states; Minnesota, Wisconsin, Illinois, Ohio, Missouri, Arkansas, Kentucky, Tennessee, Mississippi and Louisiana.

• Most difficult aspects of swim: Numerous dams and lock and dams. {13 dams and 29 lock and dams}. Tremendous barge traffic. Southeast winds. Pollution downriver. Numerous lakes with huge waves.
• Range of water temperature: (22 to 25 C) (71.6 to 77 F)
• Martin’s Motivation behind the swim: Swimming the Mississippi had been a very big question for Martin since the last day of Martin’s Danube swim.
• There had been many swimmers who swan this river prior to Martin, but no one had completed swimming the entire river and Martin wondered why. Many people had attempted to do so, but they stopped before they completed the entire river swim.
• In the last week of August, 2001, Martin had flown to the United States to ask questions about the Mississippi. Martin returned to his native country of Slovenia on September 9th, 2001. While he was in Slovenia, Martin was at home watching CNN. This was September 11th, 2001. Martin heard the news about what had happened in the U.S.A. The Terrorist attacks on America. At first, Martin thought that he was watching a movie, then he realized that what he was watching and listening to on the radio, was actually occurring in the United States of America. A tremendous tragedy.
• The very next day, Martin decided to swim the Mississippi. Martin wanted to send a message out to the world that Terrorism was awful and what happened in the United States was a tragedy. Martin felt that doing such a long and difficult swim would be his way of showing America his support . He also felt that this would send his message of “PEACE and FRIENDSHIP” out to the world, an especially important message at this period in time.
• Martin’s Goal behind the swim: Martin’s swims with the slogan; “PEACE, FRIENDSHIP and CLEAN WATERS” around the world. Martin’s goal was to swim from the beginning to the end of the Mississippi.
• Accomplished Goal: YES
• Martin’s Health at end of swim: Terrible sunburn. Exhausted, impossible to walk by himself after the swim. Severe problem with eyes, ears and Martin’s skin was in terrible condition.
• Severe rashes all over the body. Bacterial infection. Martin was very sick after this swim. This was a terrible swim for Martin. He lost a lot of energy and power during this swim.
• Martin lost (21 kg) (46.2 lbs), during this swim

Lake Itasca - Source of Mississippi River