Sharks and piranhas be damned: Adventurer plans 16,000km round-the-world swim
60-year-old marathon swimmer wants todraw attention to increasingly polluted waters
Martin Strel swims with a knife strapped to his right leg - in case he encounters sharks, "vampire" fish and other deadly marine life in the world's wildest waters.
On Thursday, the 60-year-old marathon swimmer announced the toughest feat of his life: A 16,000km, around-the-world swim to draw public attention to increasing aquatic pollution.
He aims to circle the globe in about 450 days, starting in Long Beach, California, on March 22 and passing through oceans, rivers, canals and other bodies of water in more than 100 countries. He will swim about five to 12 hours each day, depending on the weather and changing currents. An escort boat will offer emergency support and space for small breaks.
But first, Strel took a demonstration 3.5km dip in a choppy, rain-swept New York Harbour on Thursday, taking 63 minutes to swim from the Statue of Lib-erty to a marina near the World Trade Centre.
On the eve of the 9/11 terror attack anniversary, still in his wet suit, he bowed his head for a moment of silence to remember those who died in the complex that is now rising again.
Since 2000, Strel has swum the entire length of five rivers - the piranha-infested Amazon, the Danube in Eastern Europe, China's Yangtze, the Parana in South America, and the Mississippi. Those daring forays have earned him the nickname "Big River Man".
A native of Slovenia, Strel now lives in Phoenix.
