When I heard that a man was planning to complete
a 10,000-mile swim around the world, I knew that
he couldn’t possibly be Indian.
We Indians have travelled all over the world, but
we generally prefer to fly. Before airplane travel became
popular in the mid-20th century, we traveled long distances
by ship. And before ships were invented, we
walked everywhere. If we came across a body of water,
such as a lake or ocean, we tried to walk around it. The
idea of swimming just never occurred to us.
It’s no wonder, then, that Indian swimmers have
rarely been competitive at the Olympic Games. We
should be proud that they’re willing to get into the water
at all. Most Indians are reluctant to dive or jump into
deep water, unless it’s the Ganga.
I’m a terrible swimmer myself. I never took proper
lessons, so I’m rather slow and awkward. When I attempt
to swim across a public swimming pool, the pool
usually closes before I get to other end.
Lifeguard: “Everyone out of the pool! The pool is
closing for the day.”
Me: “Can I please finish my lap?”
Lifeguard: “No, just stay where you are. We’re going
to send a lifeboat out to get you.”
Swimming is an important skill, of course. I’ve read
so many sad stories about people drowning in backyard
pools, rivers, lakes and other bodies of water. Some
have even drowned in bathtubs.
That’s why I made sure I enrolled my three children
in swimming classes. They’re now better swimmers
than I am, but I hope they never attempt to swim
across the world. You have to be an amazing swimmer
to do that, possessing not just incredible endurance
but also the ability to dodge sharks, piranha, and other
dangerous fish.
Martin Strel, a native of Slovenia who lives in the
U.S., apparently believes that he has what it takes to attempt
the feat, even at age 60. The marathon swimmer
plans to start his globe-circling journey in California
next March and spend 450 days swimming through
oceans, rivers, lakes, and other bodies of water in more
than 100 countries. He plans to swim for about 5 to 12
hours each day, traveling up to 20 miles, depending on
the weather, currents, and how many fish and other
creatures are clinging to his legs.
If you think I’m kidding about all the fish he may
encounter, just consider this: he plans to strap a knife
to his leg, so he can stab any fish that attack him. I admire
his courage, but I hope he doesn’t leave a trail of
dead sharks in his wake.
Strel isn’t just swimming across the world for the
fun of it. He’s hoping to draw public attention to the
growing problem of water pollution. He’s also hoping
to discover the whereabouts of the missing Malaysia
Airlines plane. (It’s been missing since March 2014, perhaps
because we’re too busy looking for things on Mars
and other planets.)
Actually, Strel isn’t really planning to search for
Flight MH-370, but considering all the debris that ends
up in the ocean, I wouldn’t be surprised if he comes
across an airplane part or two. More likely, he’ll spot
tons of garbage that’s dumped into oceans, rivers, and
lakes in various parts of the world.
Strel is inviting—or more accurately, challenging—other people to join him on his swim, even for a short
stretch. That’s something I wouldn’t mind doing, swimming
with him for a meter or two. Anything longer than
that and I’m likely to suffer a heart attack, especially if
I feel something nibbling on my leg.