Martin Strel
Encyclopedia
Martin Strel (born 1 October 1954) in Mokronog
, SFR Yugoslavia, is a legendary Slovenia
n long-distance swimmer
, best known for swimming the entire length of various rivers. Strel holds successive Guinness World Records
for swimming the Danube
river, the Mississippi River
, the Yangtze River
, and the Amazon River
. During his swims, he sleeps for 5 hours each day. He prepares himself for a long-distance swim over a year and a half. It usually takes 6 to 7 months for Strel to recover physically. His motto is "swimming for peace, friendship and clean waters."
, in the Slovenia
n region of Lower Carniola
, then part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
.
Strel's first two river swims were the Krka
river (105 km) in his homeland, in 28 hours in 1992, and the boundary Kolpa
river (62 kilometres (38.5 mi)), in 16 hours in 1993. In 2000, he swam the Danube River (2860 kilometres (1,777.1 mi)) and achieved the world long distance swimming record (3004 kilometres (1,866.6 mi)) in 58 days. In July 2001, he achieved one more world record — 504.5 kilometres (313.5 mi) of non-stop swimming in Danube within 84 hours and 10 minutes.
In 2002, he swam the entire Mississippi River
(3885 kilometres (2,414 mi)) in 68 days. In 2003, he swam the Argentine Paraná River
(3998 kilometres (2,484.2 mi)). On 10 June 2004, Martin started swimming down the Yangtze River
(4003 kilometres (2,487.4 mi), the longest river in Asia, the third longest in the world) in China
. He reached Shanghai
in 40 days on 30 July 2004, one day before planned.
Strel swam the Amazon River
, commencing on 1 February 2007, finishing 66 days later on April 7, 2007. This was a record-breaking distance of 5268 kilometres (3,273.4 mi), longer than the width of the Atlantic Ocean
. He had escort boats that were prepared to pour blood into the river to distract meat-eating fish such as piranha
s.
In 2007, the Nile
had been proposed as his next river, but Strel said, "I am not going to do the Nile. It's long but not challenging enough, it is just a small creek. The Amazon is much more mighty."
He plans to swim across Lake Arenal
on September 29, 2010 as part of his visit to an environmentalist international film festival in Costa Rica
. He plans to swim about 6 kilometres from shore and then back to his starting point.
In June 2011 Strel completed his Colorado River Swim challenge for a new TV show. More about the swim can be found at: Colorado Swim 2011.
directed by the acclaimed art-house director John Maringouin
. The film, which won a Best Cinematography prize at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival
, was critically praised for its extraordinary blend of comedy and drama. The film chronicled Strel's 3,300 mile historic swim of the Amazon.
Mokronog-Trebelno
Mokronog-Trebelno is a municipality in Slovenia. The municipality was created in 2006 when it seceded from the Trebnje municipality. It is part of the traditional province of Lower Carniola. The municipality is now included in the Southeast Slovenia statistical region.Tombs dating to the Early...
, SFR Yugoslavia, is a legendary Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
n long-distance swimmer
Long-distance swimming
The distances that distinguish long distance swimming from ordinary swimming are those distances that are longer than are typically swum in pool competitions. When a given swim calls more on endurance than outright speed, the more likely it is to be considered a long distance swim...
, best known for swimming the entire length of various rivers. Strel holds successive Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records
Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records , is a reference book published annually, containing a collection of world records, both human achievements and the extremes of the natural world...
for swimming the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
river, the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
, the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
, and the Amazon River
Amazon River
The Amazon of South America is the second longest river in the world and by far the largest by waterflow with an average discharge greater than the next seven largest rivers combined...
. During his swims, he sleeps for 5 hours each day. He prepares himself for a long-distance swim over a year and a half. It usually takes 6 to 7 months for Strel to recover physically. His motto is "swimming for peace, friendship and clean waters."
Swimming history
Strel was born in the town of MokronogMokronog-Trebelno
Mokronog-Trebelno is a municipality in Slovenia. The municipality was created in 2006 when it seceded from the Trebnje municipality. It is part of the traditional province of Lower Carniola. The municipality is now included in the Southeast Slovenia statistical region.Tombs dating to the Early...
, in the Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
n region of Lower Carniola
Lower Carniola
Lower Carniola was a kreis of the historical Habsburg crown land of Carniola from 1849 till 1919 and is nowadays a traditional region of Slovenia. Its center is Novo Mesto, while other urban centers include Kočevje, Grosuplje, Krško, Trebnje, Mirna, Črnomelj, Semič, and Metlika.-See also:* Upper...
, then part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
.
Strel's first two river swims were the Krka
Krka (Slovenia)
The Krka is a river in the historic Lower Carniola region of Slovenia, a right tributary of the Sava.It sources at Gradiček near the village of Krka, about southwest of Ivančna Gorica and around southeast of Ljubljana, before flowing southeast...
river (105 km) in his homeland, in 28 hours in 1992, and the boundary Kolpa
Kupa (river)
The Kupa or Kolpa river forms a natural border between north-west Croatia and southeast Slovenia.The Kupa originates in Croatia in the mountainous region of Gorski kotar, northeast of Rijeka, in the area of Risnjak National Park...
river (62 kilometres (38.5 mi)), in 16 hours in 1993. In 2000, he swam the Danube River (2860 kilometres (1,777.1 mi)) and achieved the world long distance swimming record (3004 kilometres (1,866.6 mi)) in 58 days. In July 2001, he achieved one more world record — 504.5 kilometres (313.5 mi) of non-stop swimming in Danube within 84 hours and 10 minutes.
In 2002, he swam the entire Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
(3885 kilometres (2,414 mi)) in 68 days. In 2003, he swam the Argentine Paraná River
Paraná River
The Paraná River is a river in south Central South America, running through Brazil, Paraguay and Argentina for some . It is second in length only to the Amazon River among South American rivers. The name Paraná is an abbreviation of the phrase "para rehe onáva", which comes from the Tupi language...
(3998 kilometres (2,484.2 mi)). On 10 June 2004, Martin started swimming down the Yangtze River
Yangtze River
The Yangtze, Yangzi or Cháng Jiāng is the longest river in Asia, and the third-longest in the world. It flows for from the glaciers on the Tibetan Plateau in Qinghai eastward across southwest, central and eastern China before emptying into the East China Sea at Shanghai. It is also one of the...
(4003 kilometres (2,487.4 mi), the longest river in Asia, the third longest in the world) in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. He reached Shanghai
Shanghai
Shanghai is the largest city by population in China and the largest city proper in the world. It is one of the four province-level municipalities in the People's Republic of China, with a total population of over 23 million as of 2010...
in 40 days on 30 July 2004, one day before planned.
Strel swam the Amazon River
Amazon River
The Amazon of South America is the second longest river in the world and by far the largest by waterflow with an average discharge greater than the next seven largest rivers combined...
, commencing on 1 February 2007, finishing 66 days later on April 7, 2007. This was a record-breaking distance of 5268 kilometres (3,273.4 mi), longer than the width of the Atlantic Ocean
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
. He had escort boats that were prepared to pour blood into the river to distract meat-eating fish such as piranha
Piranha
A piranha or piraña is a member of family Characidae in order Characiformes, an omnivorous freshwater fish that inhabits South American rivers. In Venezuela, they are called caribes...
s.
In 2007, the Nile
Nile
The Nile is a major north-flowing river in North Africa, generally regarded as the longest river in the world. It is long. It runs through the ten countries of Sudan, South Sudan, Burundi, Rwanda, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda and Egypt.The Nile has two major...
had been proposed as his next river, but Strel said, "I am not going to do the Nile. It's long but not challenging enough, it is just a small creek. The Amazon is much more mighty."
He plans to swim across Lake Arenal
Lake Arenal
Lake Arenal is an artificial lake in Costa Rica, located in the northern highlands of the country. It was enlarged to its present size as a part of a 1979 hydroelectric project by the Costa Rican government to provide electricity to the country.- Geography :...
on September 29, 2010 as part of his visit to an environmentalist international film festival in Costa Rica
Costa Rica
Costa Rica , officially the Republic of Costa Rica is a multilingual, multiethnic and multicultural country in Central America, bordered by Nicaragua to the north, Panama to the southeast, the Pacific Ocean to the west and the Caribbean Sea to the east....
. He plans to swim about 6 kilometres from shore and then back to his starting point.
In June 2011 Strel completed his Colorado River Swim challenge for a new TV show. More about the swim can be found at: Colorado Swim 2011.
Big River Man
Strel was recently the subject and star of a feature documentary entitled Big River ManBig River Man
Big River Man is a 2009 documentary film directed by John Maringouin. It follows the Slovenian long-distance swimmer Martin Strel as he swims the entire 3,300 mile length of the Amazon River, between February and April 2007....
directed by the acclaimed art-house director John Maringouin
John Maringouin
John Maringouin is an American film director.His debut feature, Running Stumbled, received wide critical acclaim and was referred to by Variety as a "phantasmagoric filmmaking debut" Despite acclaim, a Spirit Award nomination, and a brief release in the UK, the film is unavailable in the United...
. The film, which won a Best Cinematography prize at the 2009 Sundance Film Festival
Sundance Film Festival
The Sundance Film Festival is a film festival that takes place annually in Utah, in the United States. It is the largest independent cinema festival in the United States. Held in January in Park City, Salt Lake City, and Ogden, as well as at the Sundance Resort, the festival is a showcase for new...
, was critically praised for its extraordinary blend of comedy and drama. The film chronicled Strel's 3,300 mile historic swim of the Amazon.