It Was The Story Of His Lifetime
20 hours, 31 miles and not quite halfway across the Sea of Cortez, but Paul Lundgren was not disappointed at all at the outcome of his 80-mile Sea of Cortez crossing.“I have the story of a lifetime. There is not one ounce of disappointment in me or my amazing crew. Completely opposite. We literally barely got out of there with our lives,” explains the endurance athlete from California.
With the weather acting up and the water temperature heading down, Lundgren was into “the most amazing adventure of my life.
I got so much more from this swim then I ever dreamed. When my crew, after almost dying at sea thanked me for providing them the greatest, wildest adventure of a lifetime. I have nothing but gratitude left.”
His three escort boats landed on a beach at night in total blackness as Lundgren got separated from his goggles and swimsuit in the confusion. “I stepped on a stingray that left barbs in my foot and the water turned out 8ºF colder than advertised. We ended up trying to outswim the winds of a tropical storm.”
At the end of the night and day of swimming, he had no regrets in pulling himself out in the storm. “Right now we are all celebrating our feet on terra firma.”
Copyright © 2013 by World Open Water Swimming Association
Southern California native, born 1962, is the creator of the WOWSA Awards, Oceans Seven, Openwaterpedia, Citrus Corps, World Open Water Swimming Association, Daily News of Open Water Swimming, Global Open Water Swimming Conference. He is Chief Executive Officer of KAATSU Global and KAATSU Research Institute. Inductee in the International Marathon Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Swimmer, Class of 2001) and Ice Swimming Hall of Fame (Honor Contributor - Media, Class of 2019), recipient of the International Swimming Hall of Fame's Poseidon Award (2016), International Swimming Hall of Fame's Irving Davids-Captain Roger Wheeler Memorial Award (2010), USA Swimming's Glen S. Hummer Award (2007, 2010) and Harvard University's John B. Imrie Award (1984). Served on the FINA Technical Open Water Swimming Committee and as Technical Delegate with the 2011 Special Olympics World Summer Games, and 9-time USA Swimming coaching staff.
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