Martin Strel – the Man Who Swam the Amazon – My Time With the River – Part Two

The Amazon river has by far the greatest total flow of any river, carrying more than the Mississippi, Nile, and Yangtze rivers combined — so while it may not be the longest river, it is undoubtedly the largest. Known as The River Sea, its drainage area, called the Amazon Basin, is the largest of any river system.

Martin’s health took a turn for the worse last evening as he struggled with dizziness, vertigo, blood pressure jumping off the charts, diarrhea, nausea, and delirium. Despite having difficulty standing and being ordered by the doctor not to swim, Martin is obsessed with making it to Belem, and insisted on night swimming. The winds were light and the almost full moon would come in and out of shrouds of clouds, filtering purplish light out over the rippling waters.

After 3,272 miles (5268 km) and 66 days of exhaustion, sunburn, delirium and piranhas, Martin Strel successfully completed a swim down the Amazon River. Strel´s Amazon swim will be the fourth time Strel has broken the Guinness record.

Martin Strel: I am always on the look out for new challenges and each success gives me fresh energy and purpose for the next challenge. Several times, I was close to death and it would be quite possible that today I would no longer walk this planet.

Q: What is Martin Strel like privately, books that you read, music you listen to, favorite place?
Martin Strel: A confident person, but a quiet one. I like the company of positive people, who stimulate and inspire and understand what I am doing. I very much like people who are able to understand different values in live.

I also like to do things on my own and do not like to be dependent on others. During my swimming of big rivers, I have a team next to me, who assist me. All of them are experienced, reliable and I have to trust them 110 percent. Normally, my team are individuals from different countries and nationalities, who do not know one another all so well in order to minimize any misunderstanding. Otherwise it could be fatal for my undertaking.

To tell you honestly, I am not reading as much. Today, I am more exercising and traveling the world. But I always like to read some good adventure literature, also magazines, newspapers, internet, TV about adventure undertakings from all over the world.

I love music, country, flamenco and good old rock music. You may know that my actual profession is a guitar teacher and I still love to play my old classical guitar.

My favorite place is – most certainly – my piece of land in Mokronog. There I find peace and contemplate ideas. I just love the quietness, have a glass or two of our local vine – cvicek. Next to me is my cat, who sleeps after eating full.

It is from here my ideas and plans originate, some of them I put on the paper afterwards and see if they are workable. I also have a garden, vineyard and orchard, I make my own vine, grow fruits and vegetables.

Q: Congratulatory messages and wishes are pouring in from all over the world. Is there one of special importance or meaning?
Martin Strel: There were many indeed and they are all special as they are from the heart. I am pleased that my mission has touched the ears of so many and that some truly respect my achievement. My team tries its best to reply each and single one of them.

I am also pleased over all invitations which are coming my way and if possible, I try to attend them all.

Q: Your home is Mokronog in Dolenjska region of Slovenia. How do you recall your childhood? What are they saying at home in Mokronog about your achievements and records?
Martin Strel: Mokronog is the name of a small village which has its name after "wett feet". Mokronog literally means "wett feet". My childhood was unforgettable. If only possible, I would love to be young again. I would turn the wheel of time some 50 years back. Much to my regret this is not possible.

I am remembering many things from my childhood and I wish to be able to write a book about it some day.

Today, I come to Mokronog to find peace, to recall the past and meet people who live there all their life. But I wished to venture in the wide world and my wish has been fulfilled.

But I return to my place of birth as often as possible. Both of my parents are still alive, my mother Pepca, my father Tomo, also my sisters Mira and my brother Tomaz.

I can tell you that people of Mokronog are very proud of my achievements. They, however, do not know well what my achievements mean to the world. Many did not venture to the world beyond and for them Ljubljana, the Slovene capital, is far enough. So they do not know what it means to swim 5.000 km in the Amazon. But they love to listen to me when I am telling them stories about my undertakings.

Q: Which big river is next?
Martin Strel: No decision has been taken yet. At the moment I am also unable to take one. I wish to be able to lecture around the world in the future about my mission and achievements for clean rivers, peace and friendship. For now this is my priority.

I doubt that I shall do another risky undertaking. My feeling is that nature has permitted me as much and I am not so sure, it will grant me another possibility. My feeling is – that`s it!

Q: What is your message to the world, to the Middle East?
Martin Strel: It is my sincere wish that all people and nations who live in the Middle East will find a way to live in peace and dedicate themselves to important values in life. Our live is but short in therefore is should be beautiful and lived in full.

All conflicts and wars should become history – and everybody should live happily ever after. When we are no longer, only what we have done or not done will remain. But what we have done, it should be the result of a quality in life and happy life.

Mr. Martin Strel, the Man Who Swam the Amazon, thank you very much.

The whole background story with details is now available in the Book titled "The Man Who Swam the Amazon". Excerpts

Prologue chapter
OK, I’ll be honest. When I signed on as a kayaker to help navigate Martin Strel down the Amazon River, I gave him about a fifty-percent chance of survival. Myself, I gave a ninety-percent chance. One thing was certain though. Martin Strel would either swim the entire Amazon River, or die trying.

The man had the whole country of Slovenia on his back, and he had too much pride to return to his homeland having failed in doing what he’d set out to do. Martin isn’t the type of man who will be content riding out his waning years in some swank condo on the beach, peacefully watching the tide ebb and flow.

February 1, 2007—Amazon jungle near Taurapa, Peru
Martin enters the river about an hour and a half after his scheduled starting time. He shoots away from shore so fast that the small escort boat struggles to keep up with him in the heavy current. He swims the first three hours in total silence, stopping once to utter a single word, "DRINK." The six people in the escort boat stare in disbelief as he quickly guzzles a pint of energy drink, then goes back to his powerful freestyle stroking.

As navigators, our jobs are simple. Look for the fastest current, avoid whirlpools, and blow a whistle every time danger comes. But, at the same time, I must use discretion. To blow my whistle and bring Martin back.

March 25 – Curua, Brazil
When Martin is tired like he is today, he doesn`t say much in the water. He tell himself stories. I watch him swimming on his back, his lips moving all the time and sometimes he even uses hand gestures. He is not here on the Amazon today, not even close.

He is eight years old, at his family`s small
chicken farm in the village of Mokronog. He
is hopping to get his chores done early so he
can ride on this new bicycle, as his mother
had promised him. She is in the field with him.
He wonders when his father will come home.
He wants to go visit his friends down the road
on his bicycle but first he has to feed all those
chickens.

The wind and waves are relentless again today, but the tired swimmer is still able to battle through another forty miles. There are not a lot of towns left on the map between here and Belem. We should reach Monte Allegre tomorrow.

Martin and Borut have put April seventh down now as their new target date to reach the Atlantic, but there is a lot of rough water between here and there.

Afterword by Martin Strel
In recent years I’ve been rolled by a wave of dreams that inspired me to attempt to swim the world greatest rivers. The Amazon, the largest, longest, and most dangerous river, was always my biggest dream. I did not only swim the Amazon to achieve some great record or sport result, but also much more. I decided to do it with the mission to show the world something different, something really important for our present and future living.

We have to protect our forests to keep them growing. We need to keep rivers and other waters clean. THE WORLD IS STILL A BEAUTIFUL PLACE! We need to protect it and keep it that way for future generations. This issue is bigger than any of us alone can comprehend. The future of mankind depends on us.

I was not strong enough to swim the river all by myself. I had a talented team to support me. I decided to risk my life for this gruelling project, which shook up the world and made history. Without the right hard-working people around me, this would be an impossible mission. I would like to thank all of the people who I was fortunate to have around me, those who suffered and laughed with me, and contributed their own part to this unforgettable project.

BOOK REVIEWS:
Martins stories of swimming the Amazon are some of the most fascinating tales I have ever heard. I am so glad he wrote this book so others can not only marvel about his feats, but can learn from this great man
Will Steger, legendary polar explorer