Javier Mérida Prieto To Cross The Beagle Channel
Courtesy of Tom Morgenstern, Revista Open Water.
Javier Mérida Prieto is a disabled Spanish open water swimmer who became the first disabled person to complete the Triple Crown of Open Water Swimming and has completed three Oceans Seven channels.
His bioprene 3.7 km cross-border challenge to cross the Beagle Channel in Argentina in 8ºC water is highlighted in the latest edition of Revista Open Water by Tom Morgenstern here.
His coach Jaime Vigaray and his doctor Rosa Sánchez will oversee his crossing that is expected to take about an hour.
Despite the distance, Mérida predicts. “[Crossing the Beagle Channel will be] the shortest crossing of all that I have done, but until it does not end, we will not be able to compare. In 60 minutes, you can suffer more than 10 hours, depending on the temperature and the fight you have with the sea and the wind.”
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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.
