Nejib Belhedi, the Father of Ouma in his native Tunisia, came back from heart surgery at the age of 66 to swim 76 hours 30 minutes along the coast of Tunisia in a 120 km sea swim between September 15th-18th 2018.
It was the longest sea swim by duration and was recognized and honored by Guinness World Records.
As one result of visiting Southern California, Belhedi has decided to continue on an own Oceans Seven journey by planning for a Catalina Channel crossing in 2020. In 1993, he completed a crossing of the English Channel in 16 hours 35 minutes.
Left to right: Ion Lazarenco Tiron, Nejib Belhedi, Steven Munatones, Josef Köberl
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. Note: WOWSA only recommends products or services used or recommended by the community. WOWSA does not receive compensation for links or products mentioned on this site or in blog posts. If it does, it will be indicated clearly on that specific post. See WOWSA's privacy policy for more information.
