I can hardly put my joy into words! I managed to achieve an incredible time and another record and swam the 40-kilometre-long Menorca Channel between Menorca and Mallorca in just 09:50 hours. Being one hour faster than the previous record holder and only 26 minutes slower than the fastest man. That was a real challenge, because even if the holiday scenery suggests otherwise: The Mediterranean Sea demands everything from us open water swimmers. If you want to be successful here, you have to be in top shape, have mental strength and show fighting spirit. When I arrived at Cap des Freu on Mallorca in the afternoon and touched the steep rock face to finish, it surely was an unforgettable moment.
„THE FEELING IS PRICELESS. SUCH A LONG DISTANCE IS A SPECIAL CHALLENGE, ESPECIALLY MENTALLY. BUT I MANAGED TO CONCENTRATE ON MYSELF AND MY RHYTHM AND GAVE IT MY ALL.“
I’m incredibly proud of my achievement, since only 18 swimmers in the world before me have ever managed these strains. For more than six years, I have been pursuing my big goal, achieving what no German has done before me: conquer the seven most important straits in the world, the “Ocean’s Seven” – only in a swimming costume, with a swimming cap and goggles. The preparation is extremely extensive and demands a lot from me and my team. Only if everything fits on the day of the swim, this kind of achievement is possible. Everything has to work, from the logistics in advance to the support on site to the supply from the boat during the swim. I spend several hours a day in the water and in the weight room. Last year alone, I swam over 1,000 training kilometres and worked on my technique continuously. But in the oceans, it’s not only about physical fitness – it’s mental strength that decides how a swim turns out. For years I have been working on motivating my mind beyond its performance limit in extreme situations in the water. This also helped me out of the water during the Corona pandemic not to lose focus and to keep fighting for my goal. I am all the happier that I was able to triumph like this in the Mediterranean.„AS AN OPEN WATER SWIMMER, I RELY ON MENTAL STRENGTH. BEING SUCCESSFUL MEANS STAYING FLEXIBLE AND ALWAYS STICKING TO YOUR GOAL, NO MATTER WHAT.“
With every stroke of my arm, I am getting closer to my big goal, the conquest of the “Ocean’s Seven“. As early as August, I want to face the 42-kilometre-long Kaiwi Channel. In addition to the long distance, highly poisonous jellyfish, sharks, extreme waves and who knows what else, await me here. I’m therefore really excited and hope that the travel regulations that will be in force by then will allow me to have this experience. After that, I still have to cross the Cook Strait between the North and South Islands of New Zealand and the North Channel between Ireland and Scotland. I can hardly wait to face these adventures!
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